Nine selected for TV Acad professional committee

Gail Berman, Jason Kilar, Steven Lafferty, Steve Mosko and Dana Walden are actually hired for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences executive committee for 2012-13 by chairman/Boss Bruce Rosenblum. Rosenblum, who was simply selected for the publish with the Academy's board of governors in November, filled five of his six slots while using visits, approved through the board, which selected Jesse Bohn, Michael Olman, Lori Schwartz and Make the most of Swartz for the professional committee. "I possibly could 't be more comfortable this esteemed quantity of industry leaders and co-employees has made the decision to become listed on the Academy's executive committee," mentioned Rosenblum. "I have great respect for those these professionals and feel totally fortunate to offer the opportunity to collaborate together along with the board of governors after we use expand our mission and elevate the profile in the Television Academy." Berman is co-owner and founding partner of production company Berman Braun, Kilar is Boss of Hulu, Lafferty is CAA mind of television and controlling partner, Mosko may be the new the new sony Pictures TV prexy and Walden is, along with Gary Newman, chairman of 20th Century Fox TV. Bohn is leader of Jesse Bohn Management and signifies the professional reps peer group. Olman arises from the Cinema Audio Society, regarding the appear peer group. McCann Worldgroup chief technology catalyst Schwartz will represent the interactive media peer group, while independent producer Swartz will represent the tv professionals peer group. Rosenblum outpolled Nancy Bradley Wiard in November's election being the finest-ranking professional in your thoughts the company, which presides inside the primetime Emmy Honours, ever since then-Wally Disney Art galleries chief Richard Frank inside the the 19 nineties. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

The Biz: Could General Hospital Proceed to Primetime?

General Hospital There might be existence after daytime for ABC's last remaining cleaning soap opera, General Hospital, which will probably obtain the ax later this season to create room for Katie Couric's new syndicated talk show. One scenario being talked about has got the drama ongoing like a short-run prime-time summer time series, much like The spanish language-language networks' telenovelas, states an ABC insider. Even when the price of production bending within the typical cleaning soap budget (around $200,000 per episode), a night time version of GH would be affordable to have an original scripted show. Meanwhile, GH is attempting to push away cancellation with the addition of several faves in the now departed One Existence to reside - Kassie DePaiva, Roger Howarth, Michael Easton and Kristen Alderson brings their figures to Port Charles. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

New 'Prometheus,' 'Hobbit' Photos Tease Space Jockeys And Sting

After the release of its first trailer, the news of "Prometheus" being a slight "Alien" prequel is more or less an open secret. Thankfully, the filmmakers haven't tried to pretend otherwise. A newly released screenshot finds "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" star Noomi Rapace in the corridor of a space ship, alone except for the pair of shadowy space jockeys standing right behind her. It's yet another piece of the puzzle, one the filmmakers have said will be revealed in due time. Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Lindelof emphasized the film's ambition. "The movie is definitely epic in its scope. One of the filmmakers that we ended up talking about to a fair degree of redundancy was David Lean, who directed 'Lawrence of Arabia,'" he said. "We wanted to make the movie feel big by having the characters be small in big spaces. That connected to the larger themes we were talking about that were all just these little gnats crawling around on our little planet." On the other side of the spectrum is "The Hobbit," which released a still of Bilbo Baggins holding his signature sword, Sting, from deep inside of a mountain (either the one where he meets Gollum or the one where he fights Smaug; it's been a while since we brushed up on our Tolkien). Martin Freeman looks a good deal grittier than he has in earlier pictures, and it's a nice reminder that "The Hobbit" will venture into territory more swashbuckling than dwarves singing songs around a fire. What do you think of the new photos? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!

Sentinel, Cinetic partner for 'Everybody'

Sentinel Pictures and Cinetic Media are joining on indie comedy project "Everbody Wants Mind," based on Peter Hoare and Christopher Lilli's script. Sentinel's Adam Brawer and David Beitchman will produce alongside Benjamin Scott and Kailey Marsh. Christina Bazdekis, Steven Farneth, David Kaplan and Noah Lang are handling financing regarding Cinetic. Story concentrates on a man with extreme Obsessive-compulsive disorder who inadvertently meets a shameless sex addict in group therapy. After numerous unfortunate occasions, the two wind away from home within the cops as well as the mob moving a severed mind in the bowling ball bag. Sentinel's striving to start principal photography inside the fall. Hoare and Lilli are repped by Kailey Marsh Management and attorney Chad Christopher. Roger Haber talked about the sale regarding Sentinel. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Fans finally warm to stereo vidgaming

Uncharted'As the television manufacturing industry struggles to persuade consumers that 3D is the future, the videogame industry is having a little easier time of it.Several of the hottest games of 2011 were 3D-compatible. Some, like Sony's "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception," made a convincing case that the technology could add to the gaming experience and wasn't just a gimmick. And after a sluggish start, Nintendo's 3DS has, seemingly, finally found its footing.With the one-two punch of a price cut and a strong holiday slate of games, the 3DS surpassed first year sales of the Nintendo DS in just eight months. (The DS went on to be the bestselling game system of all time in the U.S.) Nintendo now estimates 3DS unit sales should top 4 million units by February.Sony, meanwhile, is hoping to jumpstart interest with its PlayStation 3D display and graphics company Nvidia works actively with developers of PC games to include 3D elements in their titles.The future of 3D, however, may not lie in stereoscopic displays. Research is already under way on free-floating 3D objects -- essentially holograms -- with gaming applications. ViZoo, based in Denmark, already has a prototype running. It's early still, but if successful, it could take the interactive nature that is now becoming standard (with the Wii controller and Kinect) to the next level.CES Daily Spotlight: The Future of 3DFalling prices may unlock 3D | 3D TV's evolution has barely begun | Fans finally warm to stereo vidgaming | Streaming emerges as 3D option | Lightfield capture heralds new camera era Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Gamemaker puts on CES schmooze

Santiago'Journey'For a trade event noted for products determined by entertainment, the customer Electronics Show is not noted for being content-focused -- specifically for gamemakers, who typically use other shows like E3, Comic-Disadvantage or even the Global Gaming Expo to demonstrate their latest game titles.But Kellee Santiago, leader of thatgamecompany, sees an chance for content designers to take advantage of CES."For me personally, I am searching toward just seeing what's approaching, what will be available so far as new products and new technology that we will wish to incorporate into future encounters," stated Santiago.Santiago co-founded thatgamecompany with creative director Jenova Chen in 2006 after the prosperity of "Cloud," a game title they produced while graduated pupils within the interactive media program at USC's School for Motion picture Arts. That game produced 120,000 downloads and motivated the happy couple to produce more game titles that may provide engaging alternate encounters towards the mainstream videogame market.Game titles for example "flOw" and "Flower" have since become downloadable hits for Sony's Ps Network.Santiago will demo "Journey" at CES, among four games that'll be featured within the The new sony pavilion.In "Journey," gamers awaken inside a virtual desert and should climb a mountain while discovering the mysteries from the virtual world, an event many at CES might recognize after four times of wandering the Vegas Convention Center.It's not only this content producers scouting innovative touch screen shows and new audio systems which will enjoy the marketplace of ideas at CES.The show can also be an chance for individuals content designers to inspire the hardware and technology leaders who might not realize the character and depth of interaction some gaming companies are pursuing.InchIt is not necessarily obvious to hardware manufactures or technology producers from the breadth that games can contact gamers and just how unique the knowledge could be,Inch stated Robin Hunicke, a producer at thatgamecompany. "Many people still think platform or maybe a racing game. It is a excellent chance for all of us to exhibit them really artistic and different content."Thatgamecompany's game titles, a mix of experimental game play, elegant graphics along with a dash of high-minded philosophy, attract audiences from over the gaming spectrum.At CES, Santiago hopes to catch customers that'll be receptive towards the distinct interactive action her company offers."Individuals have developed with interactive technologies which are ageing," she stated. "Our tastes are ageing but very little mainstream videogames have really presented a wider number of encounters for individuals ageing tastes." Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

First Look Video: Watch Erica Durance Kick Butt as Wonder Woman on Harry's Law

Erica Durance Erica Durance, who starred on The CW's Smallville as Lois Lane, is about to kick some butt on Harry's Law (Wednesdays, 9/8c, NBC). Durance takes on the role of a somewhat mentally unstable woman who believes she's Wonder Woman. Her character, Annie Bilson, will find herself on the wrong side of the law when she metes out her own form of justice. (Get the scoop on her role and what it was like to put on the superhero costume here.) First Look: Smallville's Erica Durance suits up as Wonder Woman on Harry's Law Check out a sneak peek at her Wonderful role in this week's episode:

Rudd Finds Freezing People Is Simple

Kristen Wiig's in talksAre you intrigued by the thought of freezing yourself after dying to help you be awoken in a long time to determine exactly what the world is much like? Would you hanker for many bored cryogenics facility worker to spout "Welcome to everything about TOMORROW!" while you select the icicles off onto your nose and gulp mugs of hot cocoa produced from cacao beans gathered in orbit? Then you may be intrigued by comedy drama Freezing People Is Simple, that has Paul Rudd iced into its lead role, with Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson and Christopher Walken all in talks.The movie's based-on-truth plot was inspired collectively by memoir We Froze The Very First Guy as well as an episode of ace US radio series This American Existence, which both take a look at Bob Nelson, a sixties television repairman who made the decision to push the limitations of cryogenics by roping in individuals who thought about being frozen publish mortem. He soon learned it is not as simple as he thought it might be...Rudd's virtually kept in, as he's been connected to the film for age range now. But director Errol Morris (switching tracks from his usual documentary filmmaking work) is searching to find the relaxation from the cast in position for you to use Zach Helm's script.Wiig has a number of purports to consider publish-Bridesmaids, so she may not finish up joining the cast, but Wilson and Walken ought to be set before lengthy. Morris really wants to shoot later this season.

'Hobbit' Takes 'An Unexpected Journey' To MTV Movie Brawl 2012!

Day two of MTV Movie Brawl 2012 is upon us, and an already intense competition is heating up further with the announcement of our Wild Card round -- an opportunity for you to get five new movies into the tournament's first round. But before we worry about new competitors, let's focus on the movies that are currently brawling it out. Today's Movie Brawl preview features a trip back to the Roaring Twenties, an action movie fan's greatest fantasy, and a fantasy flick that's a fantasy fan's greatest fantasy. (That's a lot of fantasies!) "Django Unchained" Grown from what Quentin Tarantino told us back in 2009 is "one of my roses," this slavery western marks QT's triumphant return to the multiplex after the Oscar-winning success and $320 million box-office triumph of "Inglourious Basterds." Costarring Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz and a slew of other notable names, "Django" arrives in late December, right in the thick of the Oscar race. Can Tarantino hit it big again? Gloriously, we hope. -Eric Ditzian "The Expendables 2" Stallone. Schwarzenegger. Willis. This one speaks for itself, folks. -Josh Wigler "Gangster Squad" Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have teamed up once again in the period drama. Set in L.A. during the height of the mob, the film also stars a who's who of Hollywoods A-list including Josh Brolin and Sean Penn. While the premise certainly has us intrigued, the idea of seeing Gosling don some old-school garb piques our interest almost as much as the chance we might get to see those famous abs again. -Jocelyn Vena Vote in MTV Movie Brawl 2012! "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" If Nic Cage wasn't crazy enough for you as Johnny Blaze in the first "Ghost Rider" movie, the directors behind the "Crank" films are here to help. And if you thought the first film severely lacked Ghost Rider urinating fire, I direct you to the trailer. -Kevin P. Sullivan "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" Director Jon M. Chu has gone with the "out with the bad, in with the ninjas" approach to the second big-screen "G.I. Joe." By hanging onto only the good elements of "Rise of Cobra" (see: Zartan in the White House, no Marlon Wayans) and hiring an awesome cast headlined by The Rock, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki and an army of ninjas, Chu looks to have created the movie we "Joe" fans have been waiting for our entire lives to see. -JW "Gravity" Director Alfonso Cuarn returns to the sci-fi drama after the criminally underappreciated "Children of Men" with a flick that has nerds and lovers of George Clooney experiencing similar shivers of delight. The plot particulars Clooney and Sandra Bullock play astronauts stranded on a space station are almost beside the point in a film that promises to deliver cutting-edge CG tech, wicked character drama and riveting performances from two Oscar winners. -ED Vote in Movie Brawl's Wild Card round! "The Great Gatsby" While Bradley Cooper may not have plans to see Baz Luhrmanns 3-D take on the classic Fitzgerald novel, we have to admit were pretty excited to see Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and the rest of the cast put their spin on the story about love, longing and lust among the upper class of Long Island during the days of flappers and gin. -JV "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" We're living in the fantasy of a "Lord of the Rings" fan. Ten years after the first film opened, Peter Jackson and Ian McKellen are heading back to Middle Earth for a two-film prequel to the Oscar-winning epic. We won't be far behind. -KPS MTV Movie Brawl 2012 Has Begun! Come back tomorrow for more of MTV's Movie Brawl 2012 competitors! What do you think of the MTV Movie Brawl? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter, and click here to vote!

UPDATED: LASD Spokesperson Natalie Wood Death Investigation Not Such a Cold Case, Still Seeking New Leads

First Published: January 4, 2012 9:26 PM EST Credit: WireImage LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner during Look Magazine Party at Jimmys Restaurant in Beverly Hills, February 14, 1979A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department says the Natalie Wood death investigation is not as cold as he previously told Access Hollywood on Wednesday afternoon. Steve Whitmore, a spokesperson for the LASD, now says despite his earlier comments suggesting the investigation was a cold case, it actually is open and they are working on it. We are seeking more information from the public, Whitmore told Access late Wednesday night. As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, Whitmore told Access earlier on Wednesday that the investigation into the late actress death, which was prompted by new information in Marti Rullis book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour, was now in the LASD cold case file and not going anywhere. Natalies husband at the time of her death, Robert Wagner, was not a suspect, LASD officials said in November. Wagner has denied any wrongdoing. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Bridesmaids, The Artist and The Help Among PGA Award Nominees

Kirsten Wiig Is Bridesmaids on its way to a Best Picture Oscar nomination? The hit comedy was nominated Tuesday for a Producers Guild of America Award - one of the best Oscar predictors.Also nominated for best feature: Oscar front-runner The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, The Ides of March, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball and War Horse.Check out Bridesmaids and the rest of our picks for best movies of 2011War Horse producers Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy are double nominees, as their The Adventures of Tintin was nominated for animated feature. It will compete against Cars 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots and Rango.Since the PGA Awards' inception 21 years ago, the PGA winner has matched with the Oscar big prize 14 times. After following the academy in expanding to 10 nominees two years ago, the PGA field has gone eight for 10 and nine for 10 in shortlisting eventual Oscar nominees.This year, however, the PGA opted not to emulate the new Oscar voting system, which will yield anywhere between five and 10 Best Picture nominees.Homeland, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones top WGA and PGA nodsOn the TV side, Cinema Verite, Downton Abbey, The Kennedys, Mildred Pierce and Too Big to Fail will vie for longform television honors. Previously announced TV nominees include Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Modern Family.The PGA Awards will take place Saturday, Jan. 21. Oscar nominations will be announced Tuesday, Jan. 24.