84th Annual Oscars Poster Revealed!

Keep your hats people, this can be probably the most exciting Oscar-designed story you look at this week: The Academy of movement Picture Arts and Sciences has launched a picture of the year's official poster for that 84th Oscars. Naturally the vibrant, shiny and exalted Oscar statuette is featured conspicuously, this season around the right side from the poster between eight small black and whitened circular images that highlight moments from seven previous best picture those who win. There's Tom Hanks as "Forrest Gump," looking at that famous bus stop bench, Marlon Brando as "The Godfather," Julie Andrews singing towards the hillsides in "The Seem Of Music," Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh as Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone Using The Wind," Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman in "Driving Miss Daisy," James Dean in "Giant" (the main one film featured that did not win Best Picture, but was granted Best Director for George Stevens), Russell Crowe as "Gladiator," Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca." It's all regulated so regal and polished. As well as the weighty tagline "Existence. Camera. Action. Celebrate the films in most people.Inch Exactly what do you think about the poster? An excessive amount of or not enough? Inform us within the comments or on Twitter!

Dominique Strauss Kahn Movie: Gerard Depardieu and Isabelle Adjani Reportedly Aboard for New Film

This past year, there were two stories that sent tabloid headline writers to new heights: Dominique Strauss Kahn's sexual misconduct (who can forget such gems -- "gems" -- as "Frogs Legs It" and "Pepe Le Perp"?) and actor Gerard Depardieu peeing on plane (Gerard Desperatedieu and Anderson Cooper's giggle fit). Now it looks like the two dogged Frenchmen will be linked beyond tres bad puns. Deadline reports that Abel Ferrara ('Bad Lieutenant') is eying a project that would bring the Strauss Khan scandal to the big screen with Depardieu starring as the ex-IMF chief and Isabelle Adjani as his devoted femme. The project is angled as "something inspired by Strauss-Kahn that will focus on addiction and politicians" rather than a play-by-play of the recent scandal, which saw Kahn accused of forcing a hotel maid to perform oral sex on him against her will. As for the bathroom-challenged ami, he dodged specific confirmation of the film but he it seems he hopes to separate himself from his compatriot. "In general, I'm very good at playing characters that I don't like or those that I don't resemble," Depardieu said. Insert cheap shot about Depardieu not being good at bladder control here. [via Deadline] [Photo: Getty/AFP] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Microsoft sets final CES appearance

Microsoft's appearance at next month's Electronic Devices Show is going to be its last. The tech giant has introduced, via its corporate blog, that it'll not host a booth or provide the show's annual keynote speech after 2012. "Our industry moves fast and changes faster. So the approach we take to contact our clients must alternation in equally fast ways," stated Frank Shaw, Microsoft Vice president of corporate communications. "We've made the decision this coming The month of january is going to be our last keynote presentation and booth at CES. We'll still take part in CES like a good way for connecting with partners and clients over the PC, phone and entertainment industries, but we will not possess a keynote or booth following this year because our product news key events generally don't align using the show's The month of january timing." The announcement finishes a 20-year relationship between the organization and also the show and can add another large vacancy towards the selection. Apple has lengthy overlooked CES, even while it is a dominant pressure within the electronic devices world. Microsoft will have a contingent of staffers at future models of CES, positioned at partner cubicles and striking handles companies. For Microsoft, it isn't an especially painful decision. The business's diversification into different areas provides it with several venues to create bulletins. E3 is how it has a tendency to reveal large advances in the Xbox 360 360 line the Mobile World Congress are designed for its Home windows Phone bulletins also it can showcase advances in PC technology through its partners at CES without needing to feet a large bill. (The organization also hosts a number of its very own occasions throughout every season.) Move echoes Apple's 2008 decision to drag from the Macworld Expo each The month of january. Consumer investing fatigue is high soon after the holiday season, and also the exhibitions are less-than-ideally situated to produce new items. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Ghost Driver: Spirit Of Vengeance will get a brand new trailer

A brand new trailer has emerged online for comic-book follow up Ghost Driver: Spirit Of Vengeance, and Nic Cage looks to make sure that no bit of scenery goes unchewed.The brand new trailer determines the film's plot, by which Cage's cursed fugitive hunter must save a youthful boy from becoming the spawn of Satan (Ciaran Hinds) and causing the Apocalypse."I made lots of mistakes," states the boy's mother, "but Danny's the main one positive thing I ever did." "That being the situation," retorts Cage, "we better make certain he does not turn to function as the Antichrist."Have a look in the new trailer below...The film is directed by Crank double-act Neveldine-Taylor, also it shows, with a number of kinetic action sequences offset nicely by a number of pithy one inserts. And is not Nic Cage only the perfect guy to provide them?Ghost Driver: Spirit Of Vengeance roars its distance to United kingdom movie theaters on 17 Feb 2012, not to mention, it will likely be presented in three dimensional. Searching for a far more adult-orientated super hero this winter? Ghost Driver might actually be your guy...

Happy 54th Birthday, Steve Buscemi! What's His Most Underrated Screen Moment?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s safe to say that Steve Buscemi is one of the most universally liked actors of this generation. He vivified Fargo, gave Ghost World a soul, lent Big Fish some quirky sincerity, ruled on 30 Rock (and Boardwalk Empire, I suppose), and even proved himself a viable proxy for Paul Lynde as the voice of Templeton in the Charlotte’s Web remake. That’s not an easy sneer to fill. But today we’re talking about Buscemi’s underrated work, the stuff that doesn’t percolate with the grim vigor of a Coen Brothers classic. What’s your pick? Eagle-eyed readers will note that I toasted Buscemi’s uncredited role as Danny McGrath in Billy Madison during Bad Movies We Love recently, but it’s too goddamn funny not to revisit here. As Billy (Adam Sandler) makes amends with the kids he tortured in high school, he finds that onetime loser Danny McGrath seems mysteriously well-adjusted. It’s a different story once Billy hangs up the receiver, though, and we watch as Danny’s true nature gurgles up from the netherworld. So, so weird and so unassailable in its gall. I laugh every single time at this clip. What’s Buscemi’s most underrated moment? Those who disagree with me will be forced to skip recess and apply glue to Miss Lippy’s face.

Universal Makes Deal On Luc Besson-Julia Roberts SciFi Film

Universal Pictures has acquired 80% of distribution privileges around the massive project that Luc Besson will direct with Julia Roberts within the starring role. Besson presently has got the Lady within the Oscar mix, but this film seems like a more in-depth cousin to early Besson efforts such as the Professional, La Femme Nikita and also the Fifth Element. Im told that you will find serious talks happening for Jolie to star next spring inside a dramatic thriller that's rooted in true scientific elements. Bessons EuropaCorp developed it and can co-finance, and discussions happen to be going ahead having a studio for domestic distribution. The Besson film could be Jolies next being an actress, and it might come before she teams with director Ridley Scott on the historic epic about Gertrude Bell the Constant Garden enthusiast scribe Jeffrey Caine is presently spinning. Im told there is a high likelihood that both films will land in the same studio. The second film is definitely an epic adventure in regards to a British aristocrat who assisted define the present Middle East and also the edges of Iraq following the fall from the Ottoman Empire. She grew to become a seminal estimate Middle East politics throughout the run-as much as WWI, acting in roles that ranged from archaeologist to diplomat, digital photographer and spy. Jolie can also be moving rapidly on Maleficent, the Linda Woolverton-scripted revisionist undertake the Sleeping Beauty tale for Wally Disney Pictures, and she or he gets nearer to playing medical examiner Kay Scarpetta within the Fox 2000 drama in line with the Patricia Cornwell novel series. Kario Salem has completed a script he authored in close collaboration using the author, according to her best-selling novel series. Jolie gets ready for that release Within The Land Of Bloodstream And Honey, her feature directorial and screenwriting debut, that is being launched by FilmDistrict within the warmth from the Oscar race. Jolie is repped by Media Talent Group chief Geyer Kosinski and Robert Offer, and Besson by EuropaCorps Christophe Lambert.

L.A. Shooting: Hollywood Reporter Editor Shot, Recalls Incident

New Line and Warner Bros.' s New Year's Eve is on course to gross $6 million to $7 million in its first day of play at the domestic box office, putting it at No. 1.our editor recommendsBox Office Preview: 'New Year's Eve,' 'The Sitter' Open in Advance of Holiday Crush'Glee's' Lea Michele Reveals Secret Behind Her 'New Year's Eve' Chemistry with Ashton Kutcher (Video)'New Year's Eve': Abigail Breslin Talks About Her First On-Screen Kiss (Video)The Making of 'The Descendants' PHOTOS: 'New Year's Eve' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals Director Garry Marshall's $56 million star-studded ensemble pic is expected to open in the $20 million range for the weekend, in line with pre-release tracking. While that's far less than the $72 million bow of Marshall's Valentine's Day over the four-day Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend in 2010, Warner Bros. expects the film to have an especially strong multiple and play through New Year's Day since it's the only holiday romantic comedy. New Year's Eve cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Lea Michele, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Hilary Swank and Seth Meyers. Off to a sluggish start is David Gordon Green's R-rated comedy The Sitter, headlining Jonah Hill in his first starring vehicle. Early returns show the 20th Century Fox pic grossing roughly $3 million on Friday for a weekend debut in the $7.5 million range, less than expected. The Sitter, which cost under $25 million to produce, is tracking strongest among younger males, who have been notoriously absent from the multiplex in recent months. PHOTOS: 'New Year's Eve' Film Stills In the film, Hill plays a college student on suspension who is prodded into babysitting the kids next door. Things go askew when he takes them for a wild ride across NY City after being promised sex with his girlfriend. Michael De Luca produced the comedy. Martin Scorsese's 3D family friendly film Hugo was holding its own on Friday as it continued to roll out, upping its theater count from 1,840 to 2,600. Paramount is distributing the big-budget movie, which was fully financed and produced by Graham King's GK Films. Hugo is among a slew of awards contenders positioning themselves as The Hollywood Foreign Press Association prepares to announce Golden Globe nominations on Dec. 15, preceded a day early by SAG nominations. Fox Searchlight's awards contender The Descendants, directed by Alexander Payne and starring George Clooney, also continued to do strong on Friday as ite expanded into an additional 300 theaters for a total location of 874 in its fourth weekend. PHOTOS: 'The Descendants' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals Specialty pics opening this weeked that hope to ride the wave of awards attention include British espionage pic Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, based on John Le Carre's bestselling book and starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy. Directed by Thomas Alfredson from an adapted screenplay by Peter Straughan and the late Bridget O'Connor, Tinker Tailor was produced by Working Title and StudioCanal. Tinker Tailor has already done strong business in the U.K., where it opened in mid-September and has grossed nearly $22 million to date. In the U.S., Focus Features opens the critically acclaimed film in four theaters in Los Angeles and NY. Paramount opens Charlize Theron starrer Young Adult -- which reteams director Jason Reitman with Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody -- in eight theaters NY, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Minneapolis, where Cody got her start as a stripper. Searchlight's Shame, hoping to overcome the stigma associated with the NC-17 rating, adds 11 theaters to its run for a total count of 21. Directed by Steve McQueen and headlining Michael Fassbender, Shame opened last weekend to strong numbers despite the rating. The Weinstein Co. expands awards darling The Artist, which played in six theaters in Los Angeles, NY and San Francisco last weekend, into an additional 10 theaters. Madonna's W.E., from the Weinstein Co., and Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay's edgy indie film We Need to Talk About Kevin, starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly, both begin one-week award qualifying runs this weekend in Los Angeles. Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired U.S. rights to We Need to Talk About Kevin out of the Cannes Film Festival in May. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'New Year's Eve' Film Stills: Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Jessica Biel PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'New Year's Eve' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals Related Topics Garry Marshall New Year's Eve The Descendants

Abdicate, she stated

Andrea Riseborough and Madonna spend a evening in the museum. Parker Posey attends the after party for that Cinema Society & Piaget screening of "W.E."Valentino At Sunday's MoMA screening of "W.E.," Madonna was requested concerning the toughest part in co-writing and pointing her revisionist bio of Wallis Simpson."Really it's all regulated hard. Making art, be resourceful, is definitely the task,Inch Madonna stated from the Weinstein Co. release. "When you range from conntacting making it through the shoot and editing the development, it's all regulated hard.""W.E." will rehabilitate the duchess' status, stated Andrea Riseborough, who plays Simpson -- the two times-divorced lady who motivated King Edward VIII to abdicate in 1937."The propaganda given towards the British public -- but additionally worldwide -- by Stanley Baldwin affected our thoughts of Wallis Simpson," she stated in the Cinema Society event. "I was exposed to a lot of propaganda without our realizing it.Inch For the duchess in exile, the actress added, "She married someone she truly loved but there is an avoid for the reason that she could never meet pressure of needing to be as exciting like a kingship."Valentino, who met Simpson in '68 ("She did several dresses of mine"), remembered a not particularly bride and groom. "Fighting, fighting," he stated from the duke and duchess. "Obviously, should you read some books, it's quite different. But Madonna, she accumulates good stuff.Inch Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

How Controversial Antipiracy Laws Could Be Enacted Even Without Congress (Analysis)

Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox"Avatar" is the most pirated movie of all time according to a study by TorrentFreak. On December 15, the House of Representatives is scheduled to take up debate of the controversial "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA). The antipiracy legislation has set off a firestorm in recent months thanks in large part to provisions that would allow the government to cut access to rogue foreign piracy websites and open up legal avenues by which third parties would be blocked from doing business with the offending sites. Critics fear the end of the Internet as we know it, and in reaction to cries of "censorship," the movie industry says it will at least tone down some of the language in the legislation.our editor recommends'Avatar' Is The Most Pirated Movie Of All Time But even if the bill doesn't pass, courts could eventually put the effects of the bill into force anyway with de facto blacklisting of websites deemed to be facilitating infringement. A couple of recent judicial decisions illustrate this potential. PHOTOS: Netflix's 10 Most Rented Movies of All Time Can search engines like Google be ordered to scrub a website deemed to be enabling copyright and trademark infringement? Can payment services like Visa or PayPal or ad-support businesses be enjoined from doing business with a website hosting illicit activities? Could domain registrars like GoDaddy be told to undercut these websites by changing access info? In 2007, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals appeared to foreclose these possibilities in denying an attempt by adult entertainment publisher Perfect 10 to hold Visa liable for infringing photographs found on websites using Visa's credit card services. The justices determined that Perfect 10 hadn't shown that Visa had induced or materially contributed to the infringements. But now, some courts are entertaining motions to grant extraordinary injunctive relief against third parties in ex parte proceedings. For example, in November, one judge in a case involving Chanel luxury products took action against hundreds of websites being used to sell knock-off handbags, wallets, shoes, and other items. Of particular note, the judge's order not only hit the websites themselves, but according to the Technology & Marketing Law Blog, also hit a host of tech companies that weren't parties to the action. GoDaddy was ordered to change registration info. And services like Google, Facebook, Bing, and Twitter were told to "de-index and/or remove [the domain names] from any search results page." PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Blunders In other words, the websites were eradicated from ever having existed. The same blog in a separate post noted another case involving a website, pharmatext.org, which had pointed users to allegedly infringing copies of textbooks published by Elsevier. In January, a judge ordered two advertising networks to stop helping these websites generate ad revenue. The ad networks had to stop serving up advertisements and freeze money. Last week, after one of the ad networks, Chitika, complained, the judge reversed course because Chitikahadn't been shown to have requisite knowledge of the infringement. The judge, however, left open the possibility that Chitika could have liability upon a takedown/cut-off notice from Elsevier. Had Elsevier sent a legal warning and Chikita continued to do business with pharmatext.org, tech legal expert Eric Goldman thinks the judge would have knocked down Chikita's objections to the ex parte injunction. Meaning, pharmatext.orgwould essentially have been blacklisted in much of the same manner as SOPA intends. "Rightsowners like Elsevier probably can get 90%+ of the benefit of SOPA Section 103 simply by sending cutoff notices to ad networks," writes Goldman in summing up the implications of the decision. Even if Hollywood fails to bring lawmakers on board to pass the latest anti-piracy measures, it's likely we'll see alternative attempts by copyright holders to attain injunctive relief against search engines, social media sites, advertising networks, and domain registrars. If the MPAA is successful in its lawsuit against Hotfile, for instance, the next step might be wiping off the company from the face of digital Earth. The MPAA is already collecting data on its many affiliates.The future of copyright cases looks to be a dragnet. E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Netflix's 10 Most Rented Movies of All Time

2011 Great Performances: Film and television Ensembles

Back Stage highlights a number of 2011's best ensemble performances in film and tv, including "Breaking Bad," "The Assistance,Inch and much more.Movie Critic Choose a Couple of Front-Runners for the best Ensemble Consider "The AssistanceInch and "The Descendants," both likely challengers, based on the five film experts we spoken with.The Cast of 'The Artist' Talks Finally Ironically, this love letter to American cinema was introduced to display by French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, who made the decision that to pay for proper homage towards the genre.The Ladies of 'The Help' Interact to create a Bestseller to Existence The film, directed by Tate Taylor, focuses on African-American service personnel in sixties Mississippi who finalise to inform their tales for an ambitious youthful journalist.'The Descendants' Ensemble on George Clooney, Alexander Payne, and never Drawing Like several of author-director Alexander Payne's films, "The Descendants" boasts excellent performances from the cast.John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz Bring 'Carnage' towards the Screen According to Yasmina Reza's play "God of Carnage," it's only four figures andaside from brief frequent lowering and raising shotstakes place entirely around one Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment.TV Experts Pick Their Top Ensembles Repeat those who win and nominees are the general rule for that awards realizing outstanding comedy and drama ensembles.'Breaking Bad' Ensemble on Meth and Method Four seasons and three Emmy wins for Cranston later, "Breaking Bad" has demonstrated to become not just groundbreaking television but additionally a showcase for among the best dramatic ensembles on television.

Warners buys spec from recent grads

In a competitive situation, Warner Bros. Pictures has purchased the spec script "Hidden" from twin brothers and recent college graduates Matt and Ross Duffer, who are also set to direct the pic that the studio is committed to starting as early as 2012. Project is an elevated horror-thriller about a family hiding in a bomb shelter after escaping a mysterious outbreak. Roy Lee, Mason Novick and Lawrence Grey will produce, while John Middleton and Sebastian Aloi will exec produce. Deal contains progress-to-production language, indicating that the project is expected to start production next year rather than languish in development. Jon Berg will oversee the project for Warners. The Duffers, recently graduated from Chapman University, are repped by Paradigm. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Consider Uggie, Day 3: The Artist's Wonder Dog Storms TV, Social Media [Video]

What a difference two days makes: Less than 48 hours after the launch of Movieline’s “Consider Uggie” crusade, the movement’s Facebook page has acquired 1,100 followers and counting, its honoree has his own Twitter page, and Uggie himself joined trainer Omar Mueller for a campaign stop on E! News. Crazy! And overdue. The effort to recognize The Artist’s wonder dog this awards season received another significant boost with a whole segment Wednesday night on E! News, which Ryan Seacrest teased via Twitter and which also highlighted the double-barreled social-media presences at Facebook and @Uggie_The Artist. But most necessary for any awards narrative, it told the story of Uggie’s rescue and recovery to become one of Hollywood’s foremost canine stars. Think of him like Mickey Rourke with four legs and sans the power of speech — an improvement, no doubt: And of course there are the haters. “This is what some of us are talking about as the year draws to a close and the best films are being examined and debated?” groused Jeffrey Wells. “Melting down and making a fuss over a cute dog or an emotionally constant horse is the most basic emotional default in the human behavior book. And to me dog and horse talk during award season just feels low and common and… I don’t know, trailer-parky. And it indicates that there’s not a lot of passion out there about the November-December films, let’s face it.” Indeed! Stop being low and common, Team Uggie. God forbid any of us should want to see great work rewarded or actually have fun with the next three months of awards nonsense. We’ll try to keep it dry and joyless wherever possible from here on out. [Footage via E! News] · Consider Uggie [Facebook] · @Uggie_TheArtist [Twitter]

Summit, Lava Bear In Mix For Steven Soderbergh Film Bitter Pill

Summit Entertainment and David Linde’s Lava Bear are the top two contenders for Bitter Pill, the Scott Z. Burns script that is being shopped as Steven Soderbergh’s likely next film. I’d say Summit is the frontrunner for a script that wasn’t distributed widely. Paramount was the other initial place (producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura’s deal is there), and there are a few equity financiers mulling the project as well, but it’s within a small circle. The film is a potboiler in the Jagged Edge-Basic Instinct mold about a troubled and depressed woman who is taking serious amounts of prescription drugs to deal with the anxiety surrounding the pending release of her husband from prison. Burns wrote it several years ago and set it up at Miramax under the title The Side Effects, and he intended to direct the film. The scribe then got busy with projects from The Bourne Ultimatum to 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Captain Nemo, and never got around to it. He’s close with Soderbergh–they’ve done Contagion and The Informant! together and planned to do The Man From U.N.C.L.E before Warner Bros pulled the plug over budget and casting (Warner Bros was not one of the places they took Bitter Pill). Soderbergh read it and sparked to making it his next film. The deal should be done by week’s end. It’s being shopped by UTA and Anonymous Content. Stay tuned.