Monday, February 20, 2012

VIDEO: Chris Cornell Covers Whitney Houston's "I'll Always Adore YouInch

Chris Cornell Add Chris Cornell towards the listing of artists who've compensated homage towards the late pop diva Whitney Houston. Following many touching tributes, including ones from Jennifer Hudson in the Grammys and Amber Riley in Tuesday's episode of Glee, the Soundgarden front guy carried out an acoustic version of Houston's Bodyguard ballad "I'll Always Adore YouInch in a fundraising event for Leader Obama in Bay Area on Thursday. You can view his performance below. Would you like Cornell's version?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

DWA set to ink Chinese partnership

BEIJING -- China's vice-leader and leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping is anticipated to unveil a partnership between DreamWorks Animation and 2 Chinese condition media firms throughout his two-day trip to La. The pact might find DWA, China Media Capital and Shanghai Media Group develop a studio facility in Shanghai using the goal of developing film, television and live stage productions for that Chinese market, based on a study within the Financial Occasions. The offer is a component of the effort by Xi to cement relations between China, the earth's quickest growing movie market, and Hollywood, throughout his visit. A large fan of Hollywood movies about The Second World War, Xi is because of dominate as supreme leader of China later this season. Against a backdrop of the flurry of Sino-Hollywood link-ups in recent several weeks, Xi meets Jerry Brown and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday and Friday, after an historic U.S. trip, that also incorporated Washington D.C. and Iowa. There is not much when it comes to detail by what they can be speaking about, but there has been talks within the run-up between your U.S. and China about altering the quota system, which limits the amount of foreign movies entering China each year to twenty. Xi is not likely to get rid of these highly politically sensitive limits throughout this trip. He may also discuss another major impediment to relations. Last Year, the planet Trade Organization ruled against Chinese limitations around the importation and distribution of films, Dvd disks, music, books and journals, but little has transformed since, much to U.S. annoyance. Xi isn't any stranger towards the entertainment biz -- he was put responsible for making certain the prosperity of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and also the general view is the fact that he been successful with flying colors. Also his wife is among the most well-known warblers in China. Folk singer Peng Liyuan is visible singing loyal tunes in military uniform on television galas, and it is most likely better still known than he's at this time. Which will all alternation in October, as he is known as General Secretary from the Communist Party, probably the most effective position within the land. Presently vice-leader, Xi is really a more outgoing figure than current leader Leader Hu Jintao. He's a effective princeling within the Chinese Communist Party along with a canny political operator, and the leadership looks set to soften China's image abroad. Consuming a Opposing team game throughout his visit is thing about this approach, further proof of how China is about "soft energy" nowadays, about distributing the content of their peaceful rise through its burgeoning opportunities in condition media with overseas offices and in the film biz. Earlier this year, the Beijing government introduced it had setup its first condition-backed film fund make it possible for co-production between China and also the U.S. Known as China Mainstream Media National Film Capital Hollywood, the fund may have offices in Beijing and Beverly Hillsides and will also be brought by former China Film Group prexy Yang Buting. The goal of the fund would be to co-finance and co-produce projects which have worldwide box office potential. A flurry of film funds have released recently wanting to make use of China's flourishing market. B.O. gross taken past $2 billion the very first time this past year, and also the biz is continuing to grow by a lot more than 25% each year since 2003. Culture is really a pillar from the Chinese economy -- the Communist Party has designated it as being such, which is searching towards the cultural industry, like the entertainment biz, to keep the nation's 8% growth rates being applied, and also to assist the country get free from the manufacturing rut that it's presently stuck in. Based on data in the National Bureau of Statistics, added value from China's cultural industry rose 25.8% year-on-year to at least one.1 trillion yuan ($172 billion) this year. This can be a strong rise, however it still only makes up about 2.75% of overall gdp, so there's room for improvement here. China want U.S. expertise to assist raise the biz in your own home, and in addition they desire a method of conveying Chinese movies abroad like a follow-on step. He's no stranger to America either. He's a daughter at Harvard and that he stayed Stateside years back, in Iowa. With a feeling of pr timing that will warm one's heart associated with a Hollywood publicist, Xi returned to determine the household he remained with like a youthful cadre in 1985. He then would be a youthful mind of the animal feed delegation. Now's the heir apparent to world's rising superpower. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Monday, February 13, 2012

USA Network catches Them youthful

Spencer Black USA Network went well beyond public service bulletins using its Figures Unite initiative, which aims to advertise tolerance and acceptance of individuals from diverse skills.The 2011 campaign has incorporated a national storytelling tour featuring notable figures, including some USA stars, discussing tales of the personal encounters with prejudice and discrimination.The tour stops Wednesday at Los Angeles' Off-shore Design Center. Nathan Lane hosts "A Far More Perfect Union: Tales of Prejudice and Energy," that will feature film writer Dustin Lance Black and "The AssistanceInch co-star Octavia Spencer one of the five storytellers, together with a musical perf by John Legend."The entire idea is to buy individuals to share the storyline of the experience and just how it transformed them," stated Toby Graff, USA's senior veep of public matters. "These tales help promote greater understanding about individuals variations. People may realize there is a much more things in keeping.InchThe live occasions are recorded making available via CharactersUnite.com.Another element of the campaign involves USA's partnership using the nonprofit storytelling org the Moth, whose volunteers use students and community groups to build up storytelling abilities.Included in the Figures Unite tour, Moth has held training courses in local high schools to assist a number of students shape tales to become shared in a school-wide set up.The L.A. swing sets up at East L.A.'s Jefferson Senior High School, and several Jefferson students will attend the Off-shore Design Center event. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Whitney Houston Dies at 48

Whitney Houston Whitney Houston, the Grammy-winning pop diva and actress whose career was marred lately by drug abuse, has died. She was 48.Houston's repetition confirmed her dying to TVGuide.com Saturday, but did not offer further particulars. According to Beverly Slopes police, government physiques taken proper care of immediately a telephone call for the Beverly Hilton hotel, where Houston is discovered unconscious. She was declared dead at 3:55 p.m.Her dying happens the eve in the Grammy Honours, where she's triumphed six occasions. She was scheduled to check out Clive Davis' pre-Grammys party Saturday evening.See other stars we lost this year Known to as "The Voice," Houston, a Nj native, daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick, rose to fame inside the mid-eighties along with her effective vocals. Her eponymous debut album spent fourteen days atop the Billboard chart, which in those days will be a record for just about any female artist. She won her first Grammy on her behalf hit single "Saving My Adoration for You." The album also produced the classics "Generate An Income UnderstandInch and "Finest Adoration for All."Her 1987 follow-up, Whitney, was the initial female album to debut at No. 1 on Billboard. It incorporated the smashes "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Didn't We Almost Get All Of It.Inch Houston acquired her finest hit - and signature song - in 1992 along with her stirring cover of Dolly Parton's "I'll Always Thank You,In . within the soundtrack in the Bodyguard, through which she made her film debut. The only real spent a then-record fourteen days within the Billboard No. 1. Houston won two Grammys with this, including Record of year.Dallas, tx ongoing to star in Waiting to Exhale as well as the Preacher's Wife. Both produced soundtrack albums, and Houston released another studio album, My Love May Be The Love, which acquired her another Grammy.But throughout her professional success, Houston was using drugs. She confessed to mistreating cocaine, marijuana and pills, making bizarre public looks and performances formerly decade while her career and voice rapidly declined.See daily Whitney Houston's existence Inside an infamous 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, she declared "crack is wack" too as with a 2010 interview using the famous host the famous host oprah Winfrey, she saidthat she used to drugs each day. "I'd do my work, but when used to do my work, for just about any whole few years, it absolutely was each day,In . she mentioned. Houston blamed her drug troubles on her behalf account tumultuous 15-year marriage to Bobby Brown, which brought to 2007. Houston tried to stage a comeback lately. Her 2009 album, I Use You, first demonstrated at No. 1, but her disastrous performances derailed any hope. More recently, though, there's hopeful career news. She executive-produced a remake in the 1976 film Sparkle, through which she co-stars using the The American Idol Show Show champion Jordin Sparks. (The film is presently scheduled being released in August.) Just Friday, there has been reviews that Houston have been courted to participate The X Factor knowing panel next season. Too as with a unique coincidence, it absolutely was reported that "I'll Always Adore YouInch will probably be completed on Tuesday's episode of Glee.Houston is managed to get by her 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Terra Mater uncovers 'Carnival of Life'

'Brazil - A Circus of Life'Terra Mater is ongoing its run of documentary event films with "South america -- A Circus of Existence," which offers to take auds on the journey in the Amazon . com jungle towards the country's huge stretches of shoreline and barren deserts to a few of the longest waterfalls on the planet.It is 1 of 2 films Terra Mater will unveil in the European Film Market.Sophokles Tasioulis, mind of cinema and worldwide theatrical sales in the Vienna-based company, describes the project like a "super blue-nick event natural history documentary" within the vein of BBC Worldwide's "Earth" and "Dark BlueInch (which Tasioulis offered as producer).Established this past year like a division of Red-colored Bull Media House, Terra Mater is an expert in doc production and distribution for TV, theatrical and multimedia platforms.Presently being produced, "South america" is scheduled to become shipped in 2015 like a 90-minute film along with a six-part TV series.Also making its market debut is Otmar Penker and Gerald Salmina's "Cry from the Bald eagle," a good All downhill shepherd who finds redemption as he rescues an infant bald eagle.Like Terra Mater's hit The spanish language film "Among Baby wolves," by Gerardo Olivares, which grew to become the brand new company's first title this past year, "Cry from the Bald eagle" combines wildlife footage having a imaginary narrative."Baby wolves," a well known fact-based tale in regards to a boy elevated by baby wolves within the Sierra Morena Mountain tops of southern The country, would be a solid box office hit locally and lately offered to Polyband in Germany, where it's because of hit screens in June.It's also offered to Jupiter Films in France, Suntower Communications for Scandinavia and Feelgood in A holiday in greece.Pointing towards the natural difficulties most European films face outdoors their nations of origin, for example language obstacles and the possible lack of well-known stars, Tasioulis states character paperwork possess a major advantage: "A wolf is really a wolf in Japan too as with China or perhaps in America. It does not speak a language, it does not have a passport -- which makes these kinds of films simpler. If you're able to find the correct recipe, mix it having a dramatic story, it works."Another Terra Mater pic on its slate may be the $15 million-plus "Lighthouse from the Orcas," by which wild killer whales help an autistic child emerge from his spend in South Usa. Olivares helms.Just like "Baby wolves," deck hands will expend up to and including year within the wild shooting footage of eagles within the Alps for "Cry from the Bald eagle" and orcas in Patagonia for "Lighthouse from the Orcas."And in the whole shebang is "Mind Over Matter," a portrait from the sports athletes getting involved in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, together with a match-up between star sprinters Oscar Pistorius and Jerome Singleton -- the quickest edge runners in the world.Terra Mater boasts the previous production team of Universum, the acclaimed character-wildlife film unit of Austrian pubcaster ORF, including Boss Walter Koehler. Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at erectile dysfunction.meza@mannaa.de

Monday, February 6, 2012

Hasbro profits slip 1% in Q4

The holidays weren't as giving as Hasbro had hoped. The nation's second-largest toymaker saw profits slip 1% during the fourth quarter, when companies like Hasbro usually generate a large portion of their annual sales. While revenue did rise 4% to $1.3 billion, driven by overseas sales and gains in Hasbro's boys and preschool lines, profits came in at $139.1 million for the three-month period that ended Dec. 25. Sales were off 2% in the U.S. and Canada to $593 million but rose 8.4% overseas to $669.8 million. Hasbro saw softer returns from its girls, games and puzzles groups, which includes Battleship, Monopoly, Risk, Ouija and Candy Land, all properties being adapted into films. "Battleship" sets sail in May. "We did not meet our expectations for growth in the U.S. and Canada segment, as we experienced weaker demand than we had anticipated, especially post-Thanksgiving, including challenges in the games and puzzles category," said Hasbro president and CEO Brian Goldner, adding that the company will now put new leadership in charge of the division to boost sales. That group already has been updating boardgames by adding new interactive technologies or creating digital versions for online play. "We continue to believe that through a combination of face-to-face, off-the-board and digital gaming, there is an opportunity to grow our gaming business," Goldner said in a conference call with analysts. Goldner also believes adaptations of Hasbro's properties as films and TV shows will also help increase interest in the toy aisles at retailers. It has products set to target its growing boys biz around the films "Battleship," "The Amazing-Spider Man" and "G.I. Joe: Retaliation." Films and TV shows on its kids cabler the Hub helped entertainment and licensing revenue climb to $64.1 million from $53.5 million during the quarter. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Friday, February 3, 2012

Nominees for best makeup

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS - PART 2 Nick DudmanMakeup effects designer Nick Dudman had spent a year and a half on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," and wanted to liven things up for actor Warwick Davis, who had to endure prosthetics and makeup each day in his role as Prof. Filius Flitwick. So he began writing obscene words on Davis' forehead in eyebrow pencil, then covering them with makeup for the day's filming.Hilarious, until he used a Sharpie one day rather than the pencil. "It began to bleed through!" recalls Dudman. "I could have lost my job."Having worked on all eight of the "Harry Potter" films, a sacking seemed unlikely, and he got his reward in January: Dudman, with makeup designer Amanda Knight and chief hair designer Lisa Tomblin, earned a berth in the achievement in makeup category."Part 2" was a massive undertaking, says Dudman, who oversaw a crew of 150 at one point. The trick in a series of films like this, he says, is "you're trying to up your game each time. We wanted every piece to be flawless."Not easy with dozens of battle scenes, in which actors degrade visually every minute. "Continuity became quite extreme," says Dudman, adding that the Gringotts Bank sequence was also "a milestone" for the sheer amount of prosthetic work.Still, Dudman believes he'll stick to the tools of his craft and leave the Sharpie at home. "Lesson learned," he says. -- Randee DawnALBERT NOBBS Matthew MungleWith this 19th-century period piece, Mungle (a multiple Oscar nominee and winner for "Dracula") took on two of makeup's most challenging tasks -- convincingly turning a woman into a man."It took about an hour and 20 minutes each, for both Glenn Close (who disguises herself as the titular butler) and Janet McTeer (who disguises herself as a housepainter), and a lot of makeup and prosthetics," he says.To complete the physical transformations, Mungle and his team -- Martial Corneville and Lynn Johnston -- gave Close a silicon nose tip and nostrils, gelatin earlobes and dental plumpers, "to push her cheeks out," along with a custom wig applied by Corneville. "Janet also had a full silicon nose without the nostrils, to make it look broken, longer earlobes, and dental plumpers," he says, adding that they added "dental veneers on her tops, to give her a rougher look, along with latex on her cheeks and light-brown contacts."The team worked closely with director Rodrigo Garcia and d.p. Michael McDonough, "especially on the lighting," says Mungle, who stresses that "there were no visual effects at all -- it was all in camera, and everything you see is real. And the first time Glenn saw herself with the full makeup, she teared up and said, 'That's Albert.'?" -- Iain BlairTHE IRON LADYMark Coulier and J. Roy HellandRe-creating the noble nose of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was the greatest challenge faced by "The Iron Lady" makeup artist Mark Coulier, but he knew he had struck nasal gold when no one seemed to notice its presence. "It is quite a simple piece but in a really tricky area in the center of the face," says Coulier. "When the first pictures went out around the world and nobody really commented on the nose appliance, we were delighted."Transforming Meryl Streep into Thatcher, and then substantially aging the character, presented further challenges. Coulier, fellow nominee J. Roy Helland, and makeup effects artist Barrie Gower made 20 full neck pieces, 20 sets of cheeks and 40 sets of noses for Streep alone, not to mention prosthetics for supporting actor Jim Broadbent (applied by makeup artist Stephen Murphy). Thatcher's teeth were made by FangsFX, and her wigs by Peter Owen. Streep was wearing a prosthetic in every shot in the movie, "and because it was a low-budget movie, they were packing in the shots," says Coulier. "They were filming her all day every day -- just maintaining the look of that nose after it has been on for 12 hours and they are doing close-ups? That was tricky." -- Caroline RyderEye on the Oscars: Art Direction, Costume Design & MakeupCostumes | Art Direction | MakeupDivine costume design once again at FIDM Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Thursday, February 2, 2012

'Lovelace' Set Photos Reveal Nicole Kidman

We are told that paparazzi photos in the group of "Lovelace" show the lately-cast Nicole Kidman becoming women's lib leader Gloria Steinem. The images are surprising thinking about the lady within the photo looks nothing beats Nicole Kidman. The photo in the set shows a 70s-ified Parker, large hair and all sorts of. The blonde hair looks oddly just like a hairpiece, and also the actress' eyes look drawn back. It might took a minute to peg the individual within the picture as Parker, if it was not marketed as a result. Begin to see the full photo following the jump! Parker changed Demi Moore within the Linda Lovelace biopic soon after the actress dropped from the film because of personal the process of a medical emergency. The actual-existence Steinem authored articles for Ms. Magazine in 1980 entitled "The Actual Linda Lovelace" that examined the existence from the famous porn star. Exactly what do you think about Nicole Kidman as Gloria Steinem? Tell us within the comments below as well as on Twitter!