Affleck requires a wife for 'Argo'

AffleckSchillingEXCLUSIVE: "Argo" director Film Clip has drawn on "The Lucky One" star Taylor Schilling to experience his wife in Warner Bros.' political thriller, that has also added character actor Tate Donovan and "WorkInch thesp Nelson Franklin to its ensemble cast.Affleck stars as Tony Mendez, the CIA exfiltration expert who produced an imitation Hollywood production to be able to save six People in america in the Tehran hostage crisis. Schilling will have Christine Mendez, an old teacher who worries about her husband while he's off on the harmful mission. Donovan will have Bob Anders, a U.S. embassy consular officer in Tehran, while Franklin will have a reporter.George Clooney and Grant Heslov are creating the Chris Terrio-scripted pic through their Smokehouse banner together with David Klawans and Affleck.Schilling, who'll soon be viewed opposite Zac Efron in WB's approaching romantic drama "The Lucky One," is better noted for starring on NBC's "Whim."Donovan isn't any stranger to dealing with stars-switched-company directors, getting formerly co-starred in Clooney's "Night, and Best Of Luck.InchFranklin, who starred about the Fox series "Traffic Light," has formerly made an appearance about the giant screen in "Scott Pilgrim versus. the planetInch and "I Really Like You, Guy."Gersh reps Donovan and Schilling, who's also repped by Molly Madden at 3 Arts Entertainment. Franklin is repped by WME and Principato-Youthful. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

Watch Online The Hangover 2

Emmys 2011: Five TV Critics Share Their Predictions

Five prominent pundits reveal their hopes and prognostications for who will take home gold in the most hotly contested races.our editor recommendsEmmys 2011: Predictions from THR's Tim GoodmanEmmys 2011: 10 Long Shots Worth WatchingEmmys 2011: 10 War Stories From the Writing Trenches DRAMA SERIES Eric Deggans, St. Petersburg Times: "It should be Game of Thrones for sheer scope and granular quality, but it will be Mad Men. Thrones' only hope is that academy members have gotten tired of hearing Men's theme song play during the ceremony." Linda Holmes, NPR.com: "Boardwalk Empire. The period/HBO sparkle will unseat Mad Men. But it should go to Friday Night Lights. I usually don't like victory-lap awards, but damn it, the show shouldn't go down without a win." PHOTOS: Emmy Snubs and Shockers Todd VanDerWerff, The Onion's AV Club: "So long as Dexter doesn't win, it's hard to go wrong in this category. Boardwalk has a shot, but Emmy isn't going to lose interest in Don Draper this quickly." COMEDY SERIES Deggans: "It's hard to have a more consistent, sidesplitting season than ABC's ace comedy Modern Family had last year. Always wringing new complications from a freakishly talented cast; small wonder nearly everyone from the show is nominated in acting categories. But The Office may be the only series that could throw a monkey wrench in the Family juggernaut, mostly because its emotional sendoff for Steve Carell poked fun at TV's biggest doofus while exposing his humanity in a note-perfect farewell." Holmes: "This is not a close category for me: Parks and Recreation should win. Rarely does a show fire as consistently and skillfully across the board. But Modern Family is perfect for Emmy -- good ratings and just cool enough." Emmys 2011: 5 Big Trends That Will Shape Awards Night Melanie McFarland, IMDB.com: "Would be great to see Parks get some love here, though I'd be happy as a lark in springtime to see any show besides Glee win. Modern Family has the perfect balance of sharp wit and soft heart." DRAMA ACTRESS Deggans: "If I were God of the Emmys, four women would split this award: Connie Britton, Julianna Margulies, Elisabeth Moss and Mireille Enos. It's tempting to say Kathy Bates will win -- she's the name voters might know best. But I'm thinking that Britton's ace work in the final season of Friday Night Lights will conquer all." Joanne Ostrow, The Denver Post: "Julianna Margulies should and will win. She continues to exhibit deeper pain and sly knowingness as the story ratchets up the tension of Alicia Florrick's conflicting loyalties. Unless the fond farewell of Friday Night Lights tilts sympathies toward Connie Britton, it's Margulies' year." Emmys 2011: The Magnificent Seven of the Drama Actor Races McFarland: "The Good Wife portrays the difficulty of navigating politics at work and at home with an intelligence unavailable anywhere else in primetime. But it should be Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss. Behind every great Jon Hamm is the woman who hit it out of the park. She's his finest enabler." DRAMA ACTOR Ostrow: "The major competitor, Jon Hamm, looks better in costume but lacks the emotional range of Steve Buscemi, who pulled off a leading-man role with eye-catching flourish in Boardwalk." McFarland: "Steve Buscemi did a fine job creating a balance between pathos, paranoia and cruelty. But Nucky Thompson's no Don Draper. This would be a just win for Jon Hamm, who peeled back Draper's mysterious glow to reveal the drunk, sweaty, weeping mess roiling just under his skin." Emmys 2011: Predictions from THR's Tim Goodman VanDerWerff: "That Jon Hamm doesn't have an Emmy is a travesty, even if he's lost to the equally amazing Bryan Cranston all three times. But in my little world, Hamm's got more Emmys than he can shake a stick at, so we'll give this to the amazing Timothy Olyphant for a season when he made his Raylan Givens the one somewhat good man in a world gone to seed." COMEDY ACTRESS Holmes: "I hate this category. Comedic actresses are crowded out by partly comedic actresses like Edie Falco. I think Laura Linney will continue the trend, though Amy Poehler was peerless." Ostrow: "Laura Linney will win, though the category is broken with players in non-comedies like The Big C competing with those in old-fashioned sitcoms, like Mike & Molly star Melissa McCarthy. McCarthy is a true comedian and hot off Bridesmaids -- that kind of success is contagious." Q&A: Emmys 2011: '30 Rock' Director Recalls Live Episode Challenges and 'SNL' Parallels McFarland: "Linney makes Big C worth watching, but outrageously funny she ain't. It should be Poehler, who veered between several aspects of Leslie Knope's personality within her very funny episode submission, 'Flu Season.' " COMEDY ACTOR Deggans: "It should be Louis C.K. He bravely looks for laughs in life's most mundane, often depressing moments." Ostrow: "Last year's winner, Jim Parsons, continues to delight along with Big Bang Theory castmate Johnny Galecki. Either one would make a fitting winner. That said, the desire to give Steve Carell a warm sendoff will outweigh other considerations." VanDerWerff: "Louis C.K. He is essentially the entire operation behind Louie. And it was unlike any other show on the air last year. But I think it's finally Carell's year. If not him, then probably Alec Baldwin, as reigning champ Parsons will likely split the vote with Galecki." EMMYS 2011: THR's FULL COVERAGE Related Topics Emmy Awards Boardwalk Empire Emmys 2011

Kakushi toride no san akunin - The last princess

Makabe Rokurota (Hiroshi Abe), a loyal retainer of Princess Yuki-hime (Masami Nagasawa), has been commissioned to transport Yuki-hime and Akizuki's ample treasury of gold bars safely to the politically stable Hayakawa. They disguise themselves as humble firewood peddlers, hiding the gold bars inside the logs they are carrying so as to pass safely through roadblocks set up by Yamana, which is under the control of Takayama Gyobu (Kippei Shiina), whose attire bears a striking resemblance to that of Darth Vader. Along the way, Rokurota comes across Takezo (Jun Matsumoto) and Shimpachi (Daisuke Miyagawa), who have escaped from forced labor in a gold mine. Takezo and Shimpachi first frown on joining the journey, but eventually agree to help out in the hope of escaping Yamana's oppression and cashing in on the gold reward Rokurota offers them.

Circulation Stabilizes For Entertainment And Business Magazines In 1H

Magazines pretty much held on to customers in the first half of 2011 according to a report today from the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Subscriptions and single-copy sales at 418 of the most popular titles only fell 1.4% vs the same period last year. The tally was down 2.3% this time last year vs2009. People continues to lead the pack among entertainment and celebrity-driven magazines: Its average circulation of 3.56M was flat with last year. TV Guide comes in second at 2.02M -- its 3.3% decline is a vast improvement from last year when it dropped 28.7%. It was followed by US Weekly (1.98M, +1.4%), Entertainment Weekly (1.80M, -0.1%), Star (880,256, -7%), OK! Weekly (747,040, +7.5%), and National Enquirer (659,562, -9.2%).Money still leads the business and finance magazines with 1.92M, -0.05%. Trailing are Forbes (928,900, +0.7%), Bloomberg BusinessWeek (921,839, +0.1%), Fortune (845,043, -1.4%), and The Economist (844,387, +2.6%).

Fox Intl To Stop 35mm Print Distribution In Hong Kong-Macau: Digital Only After Jan. 1

Twentieth Century Fox International will cease the distribution of 35mm film prints to theaters in Hong Kong and Macau effective January 1st, 2012. After that date all Fox feature film content in cinemas will be provided exclusively through DCI-compliant digital media formats. Through December 31, 2011 Fox will provide its films in both 35mm print and DCI-compliant digital formats to the region. We anticipate that by the end of 2011, exhibitors in Hong Kong and Macau will have converted more than 95% of their cinema screens to DCI-compliant digital cinema projection technology, Sunder Kimatrai, SVP and Asia-Pacific Regional Managing Director for Twentieth Century Fox International said in a statement issued Monday. As a logical result of the transition to digital cinema, we feel the time is right to phase out the supply of our films in 35mm analogue formats. The entire Asia-Pacific region has been rapidly deploying digital cinema systems and over the next two years we expect to be announcing additional markets where supply of 35mm will be phased out. Julian Levin, Executive Vice President Digital Exhibition and Non-Theatrical Sales added, Fox thanks Hong Kong and Macau exhibitors and key digital cinema integrators for their continued efforts and investments to convert cinema screens to digital projection technology. Fox has entered numerous digital cinema deployment agreements in Hong Kong/Macau and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and we will continue to support DCI-compliant digital cinema conversion efforts in all major markets. The future of the cinema business is in digital technology, particularly as a basis for providing to consumers the extra value of 3D cinema. We encourage exhibitors in all countries to sign with their local integrator or to speak with Fox directly about their digital cinema conversion plans. Twentieth Century Fox International is a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, a segment of News Corporation.

Marvel trails The Consultant video clip online

Marvel has published a clip online in the video clip The Consultant, which features S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).The clip was initially proven to Comic-Disadvantage fans who attended Marvel's Cup O' Joe panel and also the short can look entirely about the Blu-ray and three dimensional Blu-ray discharge of Thor.Gregg will even appear as Coulson in another short entitled An Interesting Factor Happened In Route To Thor's Hammer... - although it's not known where and when which will appear.Both shorts are self-contained tales following a daily existence of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."I acquired a phone call from the rising youthful executive at Marvel named Kevin Feige to discuss the Avengers," joked Gregg, who plays Coulson in Iron Guy, Iron Guy 2, Thor and also the Avengers."For the reason that conversation he stated they'd this crazy idea. They would like to perform some shorts about a few different days within the existence of Agent Coulson. Some ligament between your movies."Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant happens sometime following the plots of Iron Guy 2, Thor, and also the Incredible Hulk, before The Avengers.

'Top Chef,' top franchise

Padma LakshmiTom ColicchioOf the extended listing of hit shows created by Magical Elves, the "Top Chef" franchise may be the gift that continues giving if this involves rankings.The initial "Top Chef" handled to interrupt the seven-year Emmy stranglehold of "The Astonishing Race" last fall by winning for competition reality series. It's nominated again this season.Now shooting its ninth season, the show has created effective spinoffs "Top Chef: Masters," that has run for 3 seasons, and "Top Chef: Just Desserts" set to premiere its second season August. 24 on Bravo.The shows have "cheftestants" competing against one another in culinary challenges with a number of removed in each episode. Knowing options are a panel of professional chefs along with other foodie notables.As the shows now attract a slew of top names within the restaurant niche for the judges' sections, Magical Elves founders Jane Lipsitz and Serta Cutforth say it had been tricky getting these folks interested at first.InchThe very first months are challenging simply because they did not understand what it had been yet," recalls Lipsitz. "But when they might observe that it is a good show which it had been credible, then your seasons after were much simpler to book when it comes to the very best names. It's real vital that you get respected within the first season."Mind judge Tom Colicchio states he even switched the gig lower three occasions."I had been just a little worried about doing reality TV," states the award-winning chef who runs the Craft restaurant empire. "After I began speaking for them, I began feeling much more comfortable. After I discovered it wasn't about me, I felt better."He also figured it might most likely be considered a little-seen experiment anyway."It might be this little cable show my loved ones would watch late during the night," Colicchio states. "I'd no clue."Gail Simmons, a "Top Chef" judge and also the host of "Just Desserts," states it assisted that Magical Elves shows "Project Runway" (that they no more produce) and "Project Greenlight" had recently been established."The topic matter is definitely about individuals who could be carrying this out anyway, not people with an island competing for any new husband or anything like this,Inch states Simmons, an editor at Food & Wine magazine. "These were seriously interested in telling an extremely honest story in regards to a window right into a world that very little everyone was seeing -- a show in keeping with the expertise of such a professional kitchen is all about, the passion and also the drive behind it."Padma Lakshmi, host of "Top Chef" because the second season, states the actual stars from the show, however, would be the chefs. Whenever a chef is removed, she uses what's become an legendary phrase: "Please pack your knives and go.""We make certain its an eclectic cast," Lakshmi states. "We begin with as numerous women as you will find males -- the meals market is centered by males. Obviously we can not tell who's likely to prosper. They're excellent at balancing the cast. You need to root for individuals, not have access to 16 hotheads."Cutforth states what's assisted keep your show fresh despite eight seasons is moving it from city to city. Last season also introduced the very first all-star edition of "Top Chef" composed of past participants who had nearly won the title in the past series."We work very hard to evolve the show, the format, the kinds of challenges," Cutforth states. "We have always attempted to push it forward each and every season. It has been on such a long time that you could try other activities. People be aware of show and when you've established something, that's when you are able begin to tweak it."Season six, for instance, happened in Vegas, so producers made the decision introducing a higher-stakes element towards the Quickfire challenge, which meant there have been 1000's of dollars on the line rather than immunity or perhaps a more compact prize. Within the season eight finale, chefs were requested to produce their dream restaurant rather than the typical meal a person can have last challenge."We avoid cliches," states Coliccho. "We always try different things then one new."The approaching ninth months are broadly considered to be shooting in San Antonio, with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse joining the judges' table.Professional producer Dork Serwatka, also a professional at Bravo, is tight-lipped concerning the ninth season but is confident audiences is going to be pleased."We have got a brand new great season that's unfolding at this time that we are shooting," he states. "We began things just a little in a different way with increased chefs. A large challenge for all of us after 'All Stars' would be to make everything appear large again and i believe we have been successful. The difficulties are inventive, you will find lots of special visitors and you will see a traveling element, that is new. It may be my personal favorite year."MAGICAL ELVES AT 10:Magical Elves remains a high producer Magical moments 'Top Chef,' top franchise About the slate Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

NBC loads on author pacts

NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt pledged to engineer a turnaround at NBC, backed with a flurry of recent development deals he introduced at TCA on Monday including pacts with Greg Daniels, Will Ferrell and Sean Hayes. Ferrell's shingle, Gary Sanchez Prods., can get its first broadcast development deal via NBC. Daniels, who shipped ''The Office" and ''Parks and Entertainment" to NBC, gets a brand new deal to produce a myriad of programming including animation, which Greenblatt recommended Daniels is interested in getting released the lengthy-running toon ''King from the Hill" at Fox. Hayes, the first kind ''Will and Sophistication" star that has broadened into creating recently with series including NBC's approaching ''Grimm," continues to be coaxed while watching camera. ''Sean is really a friend and that i think it 's time for him to star inside a comedy again," stated Greenblatt, who stated the idea continues to be uniting. Hayes can also be focusing on an unscripted game show concept for NBC which will feature a look and feel by Tom Hanks. Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, who is among the coaches on ''The Voice," gets development deal for any half-hour comedy to create. Dick Wolf Prods. is focusing on a hourlong drama concept to center around several firefighters. Lorne Michaels and Ben Silverman are creating a Christmas holiday special which will feature singer Michael Buble. Greenblatt can also be set on inserting a few of the excitement he introduced to Showtime however with track of broadcast's universal appeal. Additionally towards the string of hits he coded in his previous job in the helm from the pay cabler, he reported his experience at Fox Broadcasting Co. within the mid-the nineteen nineties like a reference point for his current creative outlook. ''We stored our eye about the perception of you need to do stuff that nobody does,Inch stated Greenblatt. ''The challenge will get harder however i think you may be broad but still develop stuff that individuals are conceptually looking forward to.Inch But Greenblatt also acknowledged he's his work eliminate for him. ''It's been an extremely challenging six several weeks for all of us,Inch stated Greenblatt. ''It's not a secret that NBC is within 4th place. We are working very difficult and strongly to begin to show that around." With that, he talked about a string of employs he's produced in recent several weeks to boost NBC's creative efforts such as the latest, a high executive for that studio in former CBS professional Bela Bajaria. He also reported NBC Entertainment leader Jennifer Salke, comedy development mind Tal Rabinowitz and new PR mind Richard Licata. You will find a couple of more staff alterations in the approaching days. ''I think thing about this job delays before right people become available and building the very best team possible," he stated. He suggested in a couple of more changes in the future within the coming days. "I believe thing about this job delays before right people become available and building the very best team possible," he stated. He also layed out the skedding arrange for midseason, announcing February. 6 because the debut date of "The Voice," that will premiere like a two-hour edition, then highly recommended musical drama "Smash." The happy couple will receive a huge marketing platform the prior evening in Super Bowl XLVI, which Greenblatt stated will "give the perfect launch and kick up a notch." Greenblatt did not mince words how the modification of possession may benefit NBC because of the enthusiasm Comcast Corp. is getting to repairing the network. "I heard a great deal about how exactly things operated," Greenblatt stated of former parent company General Electric. "I can not speak for cable or even the movie companies, but when it comes to broadcast I believe there is a feeling it had been a decreasing business and let us just manage the decline and hope for the greatest from it.Inch Greenblatt went so far as saying thanks to NBCU chief professional Steve Burke in the opening remarks by having an au courant joke, for raising NBC's debt ceiling -- a mention of the the $200 million Comcast pumped into primetime investing captured. Using the Buble variety special within the pipeline, Greenblatt stated he's his eye on getting more variety-type programming to NBC and it is looking to find the best talent he thinks could be needed to provide the genre another go. "You will find some variety concepts that we are speaking about this have to possess the right personas to front them," stated Greenblatt. "You'll need large stars." Greenblatt sough to clarify confusion regarding thesp Mariska Hargitay, who he described can look in each and every episode of "Law & Order: SVU" for that coming season even while she reduces her production load. For "Work,Inch Greenblatt established that adding James Spader is going to be then a couple of more additions in guest-star capabilities that will not have a similar star wattage but is going to be names well-known in comedy circles. Greenblatt stated another major goal is going to be re-planting comedy programming outdoors from the Peacock's Thursday stronghold, in addition to reviving the multicamera format he lamented as become something of the "dirty word." Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com