The Artist and Take Shelter Lead Independent Spirit Award Nominees

It’s that time of year for the Independent Spirit Awards to recognize the best and brightest indie films. Today, the panel announced their nominations with The Artist and Take Shelter leading the pack with five nods each. Click ahead and start placing bets on who will take home the awards this February. Best Feature 50/50 Beginners Drive Take Shelter The Artist The Descendants Best Director Mike Mills, Beginners Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Alexander Payne, The Descendants Best First Feature Another Earth In The Family Margin Call Martha Marcy May Marlene Natural Selection Best Male Lead Demian Bichir, A Better Life Jean Dujardin, The Artist Ryan Gosling, Drive Woody Harrelson, Rampart Michael Shannon, Take Shelter Best Female Lead Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me Rachel Harris, Natural Selection Adepero Oduye, Pariah Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn Best Supporting Male Albert Brooks, Drive John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene Christopher Plummer, Beginners John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris Best Supporting Female Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter Anjelica Huston, 50/50 Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road Shailene Woodley, The Descendants John Cassavetes Award for films made under $500,000 Bellflower Circumstance Hello Lonesome Pariah The Dynamiter Best Documentary An African Selection Bill Cunningham NY The Interrupters The Redemption of General Butt Naked We Were Here Best Cinematography Joel Hodge, Bellflower Benjamin Kasulke, The Off Hours Darius Khondji, Midnight in Paris Guillaume Shiffman, The Artist Jeffrey Waldron, The Dynamiter Best First Screenplay Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth J.C. Chandor, Margin Call Patrick DeWitt, Terri Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids Will Reiser, 50/50 Best Screenplay Joseph Cedar, Footnote Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Tom McCarthy, Win Win Mike Mills, Beginners Alexander Payne, The Descendants Best International Film A Separation Melancholia Shame The Kid With a Bike Tyrannosaur Piaget Producer’s Award Chad Burris, Mosquita y Mari Sophia Lin, Take Shelter Josh Mond, Martha Marcy May Marlene Someone to Watch Award Simon Arthur, Silver Tongues Mark Jackson, Without Nicholas Ozeki, Mamitas Truer Than Fiction Award Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From Danfung Dennis, Hell and Back Again Alma Ha’rel, Bombay Beach Robert Altman Award for ensemble Margin Call (Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci)

Red-colored-colored Beginning Finally Acquired For Release

Film District have bitten the bulletUPDATE: The revolution only agreed to be postponed: Red-colored-colored Beginning got a release date of November 2, 2012 (in the united states, no less than). This can be a mere three years after it absolutely was shot. Its opening weekend wil notice facing Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand in Mother's Curse, as well as the Disney animation Wreck-It Take advantage of....Can remember the remake of Red-colored-colored Beginning? Shot this past year with Chris Hemsworth, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki, and directed by Serta Bradley, it's been relaxing in stock since, due to the ructions at MGM. All did not appear hopeful, nevertheless the LA Occasions are verifying that Film District, the business behind Insidious, Drive as well as the Rum Diary, has liberated the film employing their in-house team of teenage guerillas*, meaning it might now finally start to see the light of day.The first Red-colored-colored Beginning, you'll be greater than aware, was John Milius' Reaganite fable from the alternate 80s America, permeated by communist Russia which is Latin American allies, and defended by Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen in addition to their gang of renegade "Wolverines". Milius co-written the script with Kevin "Waterworld" Reynolds.The remake might be the directorial debut of stunt-coordinator and second-unit guy Serta Bradley, who is able to boast credits round the Bourne and Spider-Guy movies, Quantum of Solace, Superman Returns and ID4. Helming a $60m studio tentpole would have been a large deal for him then, but has shown to become ball-discomfort in the finest order, most notoriously due to careful analysis re-cast the Red-colored-colored Menace as Chinese rather than Soviet.MGM declined to create the film if the emerged in the personal personal bankruptcy troubles, without any other studio would touch it either, for concern with problem China which is rather important market. Hence the film was re-jigged a year ago to digitally edit and manipulate the enemy in to a North Korean pressure (hopefully with elevated success in comparison to Steven Seagal comedy Attack Pressure, which switched vampire aliens into human drug addicts in publish-production). Dastardly North Koreans are not any more politically correct than dastardly Chinese, however it doesn't matter because North Koreans don't watch Hollywood films.Film District have declined to comment, since the particulars continue being bashed out, nevertheless the new Red-colored-colored Beginning is becoming prone to invade movie theaters between 2012. Whether it was worth the bother remains to look...-Possibly under what went lower.

Amelie Director & Author Reteam For 3 dimensional Family Film In British Titled T.S. Spivet

I’m creating ground having a couple of film news that broke first inside the French press now: Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet will adapt the 2010 Reif Larsen novel The Selected Works Of T.S. Spivet. French major Gaumont has confirmed in my opinion the big budget British-language family film, working title T.S. Spivet, will probably be shot in 3d. The project marks returning to British for Jeunet whose last non-French foray was 1997s Alien: Resurrection. Jeunet reteams here with longtime screenwriting collaborator Guillaume Laurant to evolve the story of gifted 12-year-old cartographer T.S. Spivet who eventually reaches be considered a get in touch with the Smithsonian telling him hes won a exclusive prize. Gaumont’s mind of worldwide, Ccile Gaget, is handling worldwide sales beginning early next season and requires this project to become return to the vibrant arena of Amelie, Jeunets whimsical 2001 smash. Shooting is always to come from Spring 2012 in Canada getting a release eyed for your partner of 2013. Casting is certainly going ahead. Jeunets Very Extended Engagement producer is Warner Bros France veteranFranis Boespflug who's making the film for Gaumont with Frdric Brillion and Gilles Legrand creating for Epithte.Jeunet labored together on his last picture, Micmacs A Tire-Larigot. Jeunets shingle Tapioca Films is yet another co-producer.

The Eat Sheet: 'Real Housewives' Star Lisa Vanderpump Puts Her Stamp on West Hollywood Nightlife

Industrial Light and Magic/ParamountJ.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" Paramount has plotted a course for May 17, 2013, for its next Star Trek sequel, which it plans to shoot in 3D. The release date slots the sci-fi franchise into a very busy tentpole-filled May 2013, coming right after Marvel/Disney's Iron Man 3 and Warner Bros.' Guillermo del Toro-directed Pacific Rim.our editor recommendsComic-Con 2011: 'Terra Nova' EPs Talk 'Star Trek' Memories, Killing Captain Kirk and Their Hopes for the Upcoming Fox DramaHollywood's A-List Redefined PHOTOS: Hollywood's A-List Redefined Earlier this year, director-producer J.J. Abrams, who directed the first Trek reboot, was tied up with Super 8 and hadn't committed to directing the new episode, forcing the studio to abandon its original date of June 29, 2012. But the studio's announcement of a new release date for Summer 2013 indicates that Abrams is happy with the status of the script from Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof. The 2009 Star Trek movie grossed $386 million worldwide. Paramount, looking to the way Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. relaunched the Batman franchise with Batman Begins, is hoping the newly refurbished Starship Enterprise will reach even greater heights with this second installment. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Hollywood's A-List Redefined J.J. Abrams Paramount Pictures Star Trek

CNN's GOP Debate Lures 3.6 Million Viewers

Ides of March director-star George Clooney has been named a witness in former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's new sex and corruption trial.our editor recommendsSilvio Berlusconi Trial Restarts in MilanSilvio Berlusconi's Next Move: Salvage His Media EmpireMedia Mogul Silvio Berlusconi Steps Down as Italy's Prime Minister Clooney's ex-girlfriend, Dancing With the Stars season 13 contestant Elisabetta Canalis, and soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo were also among the more than 200 names accepted by a Milan court Wednesday for the case, which alleges that the media titan had sex with an underage prostitute, reports the Associated Press. PHOTOS: Actors Who've Played Politicians The 75-year-old Mediaset honcho is accused to paying Karima el-Mahroug -- best known by her nickname "Ruby the Heart Stealer" -- for sex when she was 17. He is also charged with abuse of power for trying to help el-Mahroug get out of trouble when she was arrested for shoplifting by calling law enforcement and lying that she was the niece of then-Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. The abuse of power charge is the most serious of the two charges against Berlusconi in this trial, carrying a maximum prison term of 12 years. Earlier this year, Clooney said he was "stupified" to be considered a witness in the case, which has been delayed for months. "It's very strange," Clooney said according to a statement from his agent released to the Milan daily Corriere della Sera. "I have met Berlusconi only once, and even then it was only to solicit his help for Darfur." Berlusconi stepped down as prime minister of Italy on Nov. 12 Related Topics Elisabetta Canalis George Clooney International Silvio Berlusconi

Michele Bachmann Demands Apology Over "Lyin'" Intro Music on Jimmy Fallon

Michelle Bachmann, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Michele Bachmann is no "Lyin' A-- B----" and she is demanding an apology from NBC for insinuating that she might be one through a poor song choice. On Monday, Bachmann appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, where she came out on stage to the 1985 Fishbone song "Lyin' A-- B----," played by house band The Roots. Jimmy Fallon later apologized via Twitter for their choice of intro music. "I'm honored that @michelebachmann was on our show yesterday and I'm so sorry about the intro mess. I really hope she comes back." Check out the rest of today's news Bachmann appeared on Fox News' America's Newsroom on Wednesday, accepting Fallon's apology, but imploring NBC to apologize as well. "If that had been Michelle Obama, who'd come out on the stage, and if that song had been played for Michelle Obama, I have no doubt that NBC would have apologized to her and likely they would have fired the drummer, or at least suspended him," Bachmann said. "None of that happened from NBC. And this is clearly a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite, but it's also, I think, sexism as well. This wouldn't be tolerated if this was Michelle Obama; it shouldn't be tolerated if it's a conservative woman either." In response to his choice of music, Roots drummer Questlove said in a statement: "The performance was a tongue-in-cheek and spur of the moment decision. The show was not aware of it and I feel bad if her feelings were hurt. That was not my intention." Should NBC apologize?

Taylor Lautner's Dude Problem, and 5 Other Tales You Will Be Speaking About Today

Thankfully it’s Wednesday. Also in today’s edition from the Broadsheet: Aaron Sorkin inches nearer to Jobs… Jeremy Renner shares his Bourne title… David Fincher doesn’t wish to accomplish The Lady Who Started the Hornet’s Nest (for the time being)… Jimmy Fallon apologizes to Michelle Bachmann… and much more. · Let’s get this to fast and arrive at the poultry: This can be a little late in coming, but apparently a male admirer finally week’s Breaking Beginning - Part 1 premiere in the Nokia Theater yelled feverishly in the screen close to the finish from the film: “Taylor Lautner, you’re an attractive fuck!” Mister! Neither time nor place! Where had you been when Abduction needed you? [THR] · Aaron Sorkin, who had been formerly considered to be within the running to evolve Walter Isaacson’s recent biography from the late Jobs, is inching ever nearer to using the job: “Sony has requested me to create the film also it’s something I’m strongly thinking about. […] At this time I’m just within the thinking-about-it stages. It’s a very large movie also it’s likely to be an excellent movie regardless of who creates it.” [E! Online] · The title of Jeremy Renner’s character within the Bourne Legacy is Aaron Mix. Tell all of your buddies. [Empire] · Requested if he desired to continue pointing the British-language Millennium Trilogy after the following month’s The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher responded: “At this time, no. But request me again in 2 several weeks. I’m so tired at this time I'm able to’t think straight. You don’t request a lady in labor, ‘Do you would like another child?’” Particularly when she doesn’t get compensated millions to provide it. Anyway, he’ll return. [Reuters] · Jimmy Fallon openly apologized for that Roots’ selection of “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” introducing Repetition. Bachmann Wanted throughout her appearance Monday on Late Evening. It will get more amusing: Younger crowd asked her back on the program. [AP] · Towards the negative people out there who think the significantly beloved Hugo is simply too cineaste-y to keep youngsters’ attention, Glenn Kenny has awesome evidence on the contrary. Huzzah! [Some Came Running]

L.A. Mayor Race: Who in Hollywood Is Supporting Whom

At any given time when national political figures progressively turn to Hollywood for the money, a hotly contested La mayoral race is beginning to attract the entertainment industry's attention.our editor recommendsSteven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg Support Wendy Greuel For L.A. MayorJeffrey Katzenberg, J.J. Abrams Leading the Control of Hollywood's Super PAC SpendersRelated Subjects•Politics Invites go to the city's monied investment and investment capital crowd for any 12 ,., 9 event in the Holmby Hillsides home of investment banker Warren Woo and wife, Carolyn, to boost money for billionaire fund manager, philanthropist and investment banker Austin Beutner's campaign. Beutner, one of many people searching to exchange called-out Antonio Villaraigosa in 2013, is really a political protégé of former mayor, Richard Riordan. PHOTOS: 10 Artists Dems and Republicans Like to Hate Riordan is among the event's co-hosts, together with Lionsgate's Michael Burns, developer Wayne Ratkovich and wife Joanne, Jeanne and Terry Pritzker, Nick Pritzker, Jody and Scott Siegler, Anne and Bob Simmons, and Earthlink founder Sky Dayton together with partner Arwen Dayton. All have business ties towards the entertainment industry. Beutner was the youngest partner ever within the Blackstone Group and then co-founded, together with former Treasury Secretary Roger Altman, their own fund Evercore, which made him a billionaire. On the way he found time for you to function as a special American emissary to assist restructure the Russian economy after nov communism and also to act as Villaraigosa's economic policy and business czar, managing 13 city departments, including Water and Energy, the harbor and Poor. PHOTOS: Dems and Republicans' Favorite Movies Tickets towards the December, 9 fundraising event are scaly from $250 to $5,000, and also the invitation even offers convenient payment by charge card. Simultaneously, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen have sent instructions backing Controller (and former DreamWorks executive) Wendy Greuel's mayoral candidacy. The Democratic energy trio is also advocating buddies and affiliates to go to a December 7 Greuel fundraising event in the Westside home of Ellen and Andrew Hauptman, The Hollywood Reporterhas learned. Co-hosts include Hollywood philanthropy consultant Marge Tabankin and industry political consultant Andy Spahn. The way in which situations are shaping up, the March 2013 mayor's race might be the very first since Tom Bradley's landmark victory by which Hollywood requires a substantial and active hands. Related Subjects Politics

Sir Ian McKellen Loves Flight of the Conchords, Says Hobbit Elf Bret McKenzie

Empire caught up with Flight of the Conchords comedian Bret McKenzie, who’d recently reprised his Lord of the Rings character in The Hobbit as a musical elf, now named Lindir. “This time, if I make the edit, I’ll speak in Elvish. But I don’t sing. They haven’t asked me to do the theme song yet! Maybe this time it’s me and Annie Lennox.” More importantly, he revealed that Gandalf himself is a Conchords enthusiast. “Ian McKellen, it turns out, is a big fan of Flight Of The Conchords. He and I had a good time on set, coming up with ideas for Hobbit: The Musical. We’re still developing it…” Wizards — they’re just like us! [Empire]

Pelosi balks at piracy bill

Pelosi House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has surprised showbizzers when you are launched against anti-piracy legislation specific at rooting out so-referred to as rogue websites that sell illegal copies of movies, Tv shows and music together with other goods.Pelosi has strong ties for the entertainment industry, additionally to labor groups that have been pushing for passage in the Stop Online Piracy Act together with a companion bill inside the Senate, the Safeguard IP Act. She's the finest ranking Democrat to share opposition for the legislation, that's pitting many Hollywood interests against people in Plastic Valley."Leader Pelosi strongly supports safeguarding intellectual property," representative Came Hamill mentioned in the statement. "The problem of rogue websites duping clients is actually a one and warrants Congress' attention. The Net, human rights, and cybersecurity cities have elevated concerns that SOPA doesn't strike the very best balance that safeguards the needs of copyright holders and Internet clients alike. 100s of thousands of jobs in many the affected industries require us to discover a impressive solution that stakeholders supports.InchPreviously on Thursday, responding with a question that Pelosi received on Twitter, she written back, "Have to get a far greater solution than #SOPA #DontBreakTheInternet."Tech firms, including Google, Facebook, additionally to some volume of public interest groups have faster their lobbying campaign in the bill, that they need to have to say is so broad in scope that may have unintended effects. They fear that legitimate sites will probably be specific, even though supporters the balance is specific at sites dedicated to infringing activities.The legislation has significant bipartisan support, including party leaders of the house and Senate Judicary committees, and supporters have presented the financial obligations in order to save jobs at any time from the troubled economy. But a critic, Repetition. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), told The Hill on Wednesday he doesn't think the legislation has "any chance" throughout the house floor."What they're realizing is you will discover lots of unintended effects they cannot just use Google just like a piata and party about it here," he mentioned in the break in the House hearing in which a repetition from Google was belittled due to not doing more to avoid online piracy too for placing rogue websites inside the top records of internet search engine results.Author-director J.J. Abrams situated a fund-raiser for Pelosi on Sept. 27, with Barbra Streisand and James Brolin, Ari Emanuel and Jeffrey Katzenberg among the hosts. Contact Ted Manley at ted.manley@variety.com

Casting Standout: 'The Descendants'

Casting Standout: 'The Descendants' By David Sheward November 17, 2011 Photo by Fox Searchlight There can't be too many casting directors living in Iowa, but John Jackson is not your usual CD. Jackson is a resident of the Hawkeye State, where he "decompresses" from casting jobs and occasionally works with a local theater company. (He's also an actor and a director, currently acting in a production of "Tartuffe.") But he travels to Los Angeles or to wherever his current project happens to be.One of his most recent trips was to Hawaii to work on Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," headlined by George Clooney as Matt King, a landowner who awkwardly attempts to reconnect with his two young daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident. The idyllic setting contrasts with Matt's inner turmoil as he discovers that his wife was having an affair at the time of the accident; he later takes one daughter on a search to find his spouse's lover.Jackson has worked with Payne on all of the writer-director's features, stretching back to 1996's "Citizen Ruth." Says Jackson, "The way our relationship started is he's from Omaha, Neb., which is very near where I live in Iowa. He came back here to do 'Citizen Ruth,' and I did all of the atmosphere and location casting. I cast 37 speaking roles in that film, and the same with 'Election' and 'About Schmidt.' The relationship just sort of evolved. Suddenly, tapes that were coming in from the casting people in NY and casting people from L.A. were being filtered through us. We'd sit in Omaha and say, 'Who fits this and who doesn't?' Because let's be blunt, when you're making a film that takes place in an area like Omaha, certain people are going to fit and others aren't. They're too urban, too refined, too sophisticated. It just doesn't ring true, and if it doesn't ring true, I don't want it. If I can't sit back and say, 'I believe that this person,' meaning an actor, 'works at a Dairy Queen in Omaha, Neb.,' I don't want this person on the screen, and I'll lobby heavily to not include them."Not only will Jackson cast the leads, but he'll also coordinate the day players hired for location and atmosphere. "We just have this thing about anybody that's going to get in front of that lens; they need to be sort of filtered through me," he says. "My philosophy has always been that casting a film is like painting a picture. Although Alexander is the artist, I'm that little guy who worked with Michelangelo and mixed up colors. He would bring the colors to him and say, 'Hey, look at this blue I just came up with. Can you use it?' and he either uses it or he doesn't. You're creating a landscape, a giant moving portrait that changes constantly. But there's always a single tone, a single idea, an overriding theme to it." The CD suddenly stops, laughs, and says, "Wow, that sounds so pretentious."Once Clooney was cast, one of the biggest challenges was finding the right young actors to play Matt's daughters, rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra and precocious 10-year-old Scottie. It was essential to find girls who were believable as kids going through a difficult time and who were also professional enough to hold their own with an A-list star. Another key role was Sid, Alexandra's goofy boyfriend. "The two daughters were a challenge and the boyfriend was a challenge," Jackson says. "Once we knew we had George Clooney, once that was in the bag, then it became 'Who do I believe is his kid?' "For Alexandra, the final choice was Shailene Woodley ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager"). But she almost didn't make the cut. Payne had seen her audition twice and rejected her, but her agent, Ryan Bartlett at Paradigm, persuaded Jackson to take another look. The CD insisted that Woodley take on the character of the defiant teenager for the reading: "I said to her agent, 'Tell her no makeup, crappy jeans. I want an attitude and the vibe that this chick does not want to be in this room and she doesn't give a s--t who Alexander Payne is. She'll come in and do it and then leave.' She did and she was great. She left the room, and Alexander looked at me and said, 'That's it.' "The role of Scottie was equally difficult to cast. "We looked for Scottie for the entire time," Jackson recalls. "She was cast just days before she had to leave for Hawaii." They found the then 9-year-old Amara Miller, from Pacific Grove, Calif., through an emailed video audition. Apart from an elementary school play, she had no previous acting experience. "Sid, on the other hand, was cast from a self-made tape that randomly came in to me over the Internet," says Jackson of Nick Krause's submission. "It was really, really poor quality, but I loved the guy. I just thought he was hilarious. But the quality was so poor, I had to write them back and say, 'Do it again and this time get closer, get better lighting.' And they did. I showed both of the tapes to Alexander, and I could tell he was really curious. Then when we were in casting in NY, it turned out [Krause] was on the East Coast with his mom, and he flew up to meet Alexander. This was it. He was cast."For many of the supporting roles, Jackson and Payne made similarly unusual choices. For the wife's lover, they cast Matthew Lillardperhaps best known as Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" movies. That seems like a bizarre pick for the guy who takes a woman away from George Clooney, but Jackson loved Lillard's warm, funny qualityelements that would have been attractive to Elizabeth, Matt's neglected wife. Elizabeth is played by Judy Greer, known mostly for her comedic work ("27 Dresses," "13 Going on 30") but who has a powerful dramatic scene in the film. "I have such tremendous respect for improv artists and comedians," says Jackson. "I firmly believe if you can do comedy, you can do drama, because all of comedy is born out of pain. If you can do that, it is worth my while to look at you as a dramatic actor."Other interesting casting decisions included TV and film action star Robert Forster as Matt's tough-as-nails father-in-law, Beau Bridges as Matt's laid-back cousin Hugh, and Mary Birdsong and Rob Huebel, two actors best known for their comic roles, as Mark's longtime friends."We always start with asking questions based on character, based on tone, based on known entities, which is usually the text," Jackson says. "It's a very theater-oriented approach when you think about it. 'Who do I believe in this?' Those are the questions we ask ourselves, and then we try to find the people who best embody that. That's the way we work. We never have conversations about 'Oh, this person's really big in Indochina; there will be a lot of DVD sales.' It's all about the text, the believability, and the reality of it. 'Who's going to break my heart more when they say this?' 'Who's going to make me laugh more when they do that?' That's how we whittle it down. Then obviously there's all this external stuff, like Actor X simply isn't available during this time, so forget it. Or Actor Z won't work for the kind of money we can afford to pay. There's some of that, but not much. So the challenges were just finding those people that we believe."Casting Director: John JacksonDirector: Alexander PayneWriters: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kaui Hart HemmingsStarring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel, Patricia HastieThe Pitch: A Hawaiian landowner (Clooney) tries to repair his strained relationship with his two daughters (Woodley and Miller) after his wife is injured in a boating accident. Casting Standout: 'The Descendants' By David Sheward November 17, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT Fox Searchlight There can't be too many casting directors living in Iowa, but John Jackson is not your usual CD. Jackson is a resident of the Hawkeye State, where he "decompresses" from casting jobs and occasionally works with a local theater company. (He's also an actor and a director, currently acting in a production of "Tartuffe.") But he travels to Los Angeles or to wherever his current project happens to be.One of his most recent trips was to Hawaii to work on Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," headlined by George Clooney as Matt King, a landowner who awkwardly attempts to reconnect with his two young daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident. The idyllic setting contrasts with Matt's inner turmoil as he discovers that his wife was having an affair at the time of the accident; he later takes one daughter on a search to find his spouse's lover.Jackson has worked with Payne on all of the writer-director's features, stretching back to 1996's "Citizen Ruth." Says Jackson, "The way our relationship started is he's from Omaha, Neb., which is very near where I live in Iowa. He came back here to do 'Citizen Ruth,' and I did all of the atmosphere and location casting. I cast 37 speaking roles in that film, and the same with 'Election' and 'About Schmidt.' The relationship just sort of evolved. Suddenly, tapes that were coming in from the casting people in NY and casting people from L.A. were being filtered through us. We'd sit in Omaha and say, 'Who fits this and who doesn't?' Because let's be blunt, when you're making a film that takes place in an area like Omaha, certain people are going to fit and others aren't. They're too urban, too refined, too sophisticated. It just doesn't ring true, and if it doesn't ring true, I don't want it. If I can't sit back and say, 'I believe that this person,' meaning an actor, 'works at a Dairy Queen in Omaha, Neb.,' I don't want this person on the screen, and I'll lobby heavily to not include them."Not only will Jackson cast the leads, but he'll also coordinate the day players hired for location and atmosphere. "We just have this thing about anybody that's going to get in front of that lens; they need to be sort of filtered through me," he says. "My philosophy has always been that casting a film is like painting a picture. Although Alexander is the artist, I'm that little guy who worked with Michelangelo and mixed up colors. He would bring the colors to him and say, 'Hey, look at this blue I just came up with. Can you use it?' and he either uses it or he doesn't. You're creating a landscape, a giant moving portrait that changes constantly. But there's always a single tone, a single idea, an overriding theme to it." The CD suddenly stops, laughs, and says, "Wow, that sounds so pretentious."Once Clooney was cast, one of the biggest challenges was finding the right young actors to play Matt's daughters, rebellious 17-year-old Alexandra and precocious 10-year-old Scottie. It was essential to find girls who were believable as kids going through a difficult time and who were also professional enough to hold their own with an A-list star. Another key role was Sid, Alexandra's goofy boyfriend. "The two daughters were a challenge and the boyfriend was a challenge," Jackson says. "Once we knew we had George Clooney, once that was in the bag, then it became 'Who do I believe is his kid?' "For Alexandra, the final choice was Shailene Woodley ("The Secret Life of the American Teenager"). But she almost didn't make the cut. Payne had seen her audition twice and rejected her, but her agent, Ryan Bartlett at Paradigm, persuaded Jackson to take another look. The CD insisted that Woodley take on the character of the defiant teenager for the reading: "I said to her agent, 'Tell her no makeup, crappy jeans. I want an attitude and the vibe that this chick does not want to be in this room and she doesn't give a s--t who Alexander Payne is. She'll come in and do it and then leave.' She did and she was great. She left the room, and Alexander looked at me and said, 'That's it.' "The role of Scottie was equally difficult to cast. "We looked for Scottie for the entire time," Jackson recalls. "She was cast just days before she had to leave for Hawaii." They found the then 9-year-old Amara Miller, from Pacific Grove, Calif., through an emailed video audition. Apart from an elementary school play, she had no previous acting experience. "Sid, on the other hand, was cast from a self-made tape that randomly came in to me over the Internet," says Jackson of Nick Krause's submission. "It was really, really poor quality, but I loved the guy. I just thought he was hilarious. But the quality was so poor, I had to write them back and say, 'Do it again and this time get closer, get better lighting.' And they did. I showed both of the tapes to Alexander, and I could tell he was really curious. Then when we were in casting in NY, it turned out [Krause] was on the East Coast with his mom, and he flew up to meet Alexander. This was it. He was cast."For many of the supporting roles, Jackson and Payne made similarly unusual choices. For the wife's lover, they cast Matthew Lillardperhaps best known as Shaggy in the "Scooby-Doo" movies. That seems like a bizarre pick for the guy who takes a woman away from George Clooney, but Jackson loved Lillard's warm, funny qualityelements that would have been attractive to Elizabeth, Matt's neglected wife. Elizabeth is played by Judy Greer, known mostly for her comedic work ("27 Dresses," "13 Going on 30") but who has a powerful dramatic scene in the film. "I have such tremendous respect for improv artists and comedians," says Jackson. "I firmly believe if you can do comedy, you can do drama, because all of comedy is born out of pain. If you can do that, it is worth my while to look at you as a dramatic actor."Other interesting casting decisions included TV and film action star Robert Forster as Matt's tough-as-nails father-in-law, Beau Bridges as Matt's laid-back cousin Hugh, and Mary Birdsong and Rob Huebel, two actors best known for their comic roles, as Mark's longtime friends."We always start with asking questions based on character, based on tone, based on known entities, which is usually the text," Jackson says. "It's a very theater-oriented approach when you think about it. 'Who do I believe in this?' Those are the questions we ask ourselves, and then we try to find the people who best embody that. That's the way we work. We never have conversations about 'Oh, this person's really big in Indochina; there will be a lot of DVD sales.' It's all about the text, the believability, and the reality of it. 'Who's going to break my heart more when they say this?' 'Who's going to make me laugh more when they do that?' That's how we whittle it down. Then obviously there's all this external stuff, like Actor X simply isn't available during this time, so forget it. Or Actor Z won't work for the kind of money we can afford to pay. There's some of that, but not much. So the challenges were just finding those people that we believe."Casting Director: John JacksonDirector: Alexander PayneWriters: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kaui Hart HemmingsStarring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel, Patricia HastieThe Pitch: A Hawaiian landowner (Clooney) tries to repair his strained relationship with his two daughters (Woodley and Miller) after his wife is injured in a boating accident.

Nfl Beginning Magazine in December

The National football league keeps growing its empire to everything about monthlies.our editor recommendsNickelback Nfl Halftime Performance Protested By Detroit ResidentsFox Sports Chief Talks Dodgers TV Deal, Nfl Coverage (Q&A) Primetime's Most high-listed Shows: How 'American Idol,' 'Sunday Evening Football' plus much more Compare for Entrepreneurs (Photos) PHOTOS: Hollywood's Finest Fantasy Football Fans The forthcoming magazine is slated striking shelves on 12 ,. 13 with the NFL's posting partner, Dauphin Media Group. Joining a bevvy of old sports magazines, Nfl magazine includes adding factors for instance former quarterback and Nfl Today commentator Boomer Esaison and NBC's Sunday Evening Football sideline commentator Andrea Kremer. Nfl Publishing's Jim Buckley assists as editor. "Everyone knows that 140 figures is not enough to see the tales that Nfl fans need to discover regarding their heroes. The League's publication will have a way to visit places other magazine can't go, using a genuine 'insider's' perspective," Buckley mentioned in the statement. PHOTOS: 10 Broadcast and Cable Tv Shows Most Seen By Males According to SportsBusiness Journal, the inaugural problem will feature tales on 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, Panthers quarterback and Heisman Trophy champion Cam Newton, and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Other highlights add a feature round the 40th anniversary in the NFL's longest game together with a behind-the-moments try looking in the Nfl Network's Nfl Gameday Morning. The opening print run is thought between 300,000 and 400,000, while using mag's debut slated striking throughout peak interest between Thanksgiving and Super Bowl Sunday, reviews Min Online. The publication follows the kind of ESPN playboy, using both digital and tv components, while using glossy selling at $19.90 for just about any year subscription and $5.50 per individual copy. Related Subjects Nfl

Fred Savage Launches Production Co., Signs Overall Deal With CBS TV Studios

EXCLUSIVE: Actor-turned-director/producer Fred Savage is setting his sights on development next. Savage has launched a production company and has signed a two-year overall deal with CBS TV Studios to develop new projects, which he will produce and direct. Savage, who burst into the scene as the child actor on The Wonder Years, went on to star on such series as Working and Crumbs before segueing into TV directing and recently expanding into producing too. He has directed more than 100 episodes of primetime series, most recently, ABC’s Modern Family andHappy Endings, and CBS 2 Broke Girls. Savage, repped by CAA and Karl Austen, served as director/producer on Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Party Down, and is currently executive producing and directing two projects at NBC, mid-season comedy series Best Friends Forever and an untitled Tommy Dewey/Greg Bratman project, now in development.

Jason Statham Does not Listen To It 'Safe' In New Trailer

In Jason Statham's approaching film "Safe," he's finally found a woman worth fighting for. Except, within this situation, she's only 12 years of age. The "Transporter" star plays an old NY cop who will get caught inside a tricky situation when he spots some males trying to capture a youthful girl inside a subway station. After incapacitating them and saving the lady (could this technically be kidnapping? I suppose we'll discover within the movie), he finds out the reason the males want her happens because she is able to commit to memory anything placed before her, and this time around she commited to memory something really important. The number of amounts she was instructed to remember really are a code, but a code for which? Apparently it's for something important enough to visit war over. Statham certainly appears in the aspect in "Safe," which will hit theaters March 2. Kicking butt, taking names and being the all-around perfect action hero is simply a later date within the existence from the British actor, who's presently filming "The Expendables 2." But it is nice that "Safe" will even showcase Statham's sentimental side, because he certainly eventually ends up getting a powerful emotional reference to the youthful girl he's adopted as his ward. Perhaps the very best moment within the trailer comes in the finish, when Statham confesses towards the gentleman standing alongside him he never knows "things to say during these moments." "What moments?" the guy asks. "Those before I kill someone," Statham replies, after which flies in the camera with guns blazing. He may play virtually exactly the same character in each and every action movie he stars in, but Statham is unquestionably an actress we like to watch around the giant screen. What have you think about the "Safe" trailer? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

Letterman tops Leno in demo

Latenight With David Letterman aided the interest edge out NBC inside the key demo of grownups 18-49 at the outset of November sweep. NBC's primetime struggles appear to become spilling over into latenight, where "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" fell behind CBS' "Latenight with David Letterman" in demos for your first days time in the November sweep. Nielsen estimations that Letterman's show assigned Leno in grownups 18-49 (1.20 million to a single.04 million) through the March. 31-November. 4 frame, while using former lower 1% versus. the comparable week of a year ago as well as the latter lower 17%. "Tonight" still held the benefit in general audiences (3.58 million versus. 3.54 million) but that gap closed. The Interest had the apparent edge inside the 10:30 p.m. half-hour leading to the late local news, where its average weeknight 18-49 score (2.6 rating/7 share) repped a sizable 73% advantage on NBC (1.5/4). CBS being more dominant at 10:30 p.m. in grownups 25-54 (3.5/9 to a single.9/5) and total audiences (11.74 million to 5.04 million). CBS also held the benefit over NBC at 12:35 a.m., where "Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson" moved before "Late Evening with Jimmy Fallon" in grownups 18-49 (724,000 versus 718,00), while using Eye appear 11% from a year ago as well as the Peacock skein lower 13%. In general audiences, each show came into being 1.75 million. ABC's 25-minute "Nightline" was latenight's No. 1 type in 18-49 (1.25 million), 25-54 (1.59 million) and total audiences (3.91 million) -- on componen with a year ago. Carrying out a news program, "Because Of Due To Jimmy Kimmel Live" averaged 714,000 grownups 18-49 and 1.87 million audiences overall, up just a little inside the demo versus. a year ago. NBC must latenight news with "Saturday Evening Live," whose November. 5 telecast situated by Charlie Day averaged 3.22 million grownups 18-49 (up 31% versus. the identical week this past year) and 6.55 million audiences overall (up 16%). This really is really the very best demo score for your show since last May's season finale with Justin Timberlake and Rhianna. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com

Access Exclusive: Mariah Carey Done Getting Children

First Released: November 9, 2011 5:15 PM EST Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Mariah Carey flashes a grin in a press conference to announce that they may be the new Jenny Craig Brand Ambassador at Four Seasons Hotel NY on November 9, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- It appears like dem babies will be sufficient for Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, pending heavenly intervention. The singing celebrity told Access Hollywood on Wednesday she's no intends to convey more children later on. If God selects to achieve that in my experience, then well, that will happen, apart from that, I dont think we'd try for your again, Mariah told Access as she marketed her new partnership with Jenny Craig where she's a compensated representative. I truly have no idea basically makes it through after things i experienced, it had been really tough. Mariah who stated she's also creating a cream that can help women with stretchmarks stated having a baby to twins Moroccan and Monroe, via C-section captured, would be a tremendous process. I had been in many discomfort because o the truth that theyre twins I'd a tough one Among the finest people to be ready that it may happen in which you undergo a tough time when you are pregnant, Mariah stated. Used to do develop gestational diabetes. Im good with this now, Im ok, but you just need to be cautious, nutritionally. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Zooey Deschanel and Husband Ben Gibbard Separate

Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard New Girl star Zooey Deschanel and her husband Ben Gibbard have separated, US Weekly reviews. The 31-year-old actress and Dying Cab for Cutie singer, 35, split after 2 yrs of marriage. Their separation "was mutual and friendly," a resource told playboy. Browse the relaxation of present day news Deschanel, whose film credits include (500) Times of Summer time company Guy, presently stars on Fox's new hit comedy New Girl. Her indie band She and Him lately launched their Christmas album.