Phoney Reviews Land Sony In A Fine Mess

A US court has ordered Sony to pay a fine of $325,000 for inventing spurious reviews for its film posters.

The studio became infamous last year when it emerged that a certain Dave Manning of the Ridgefield Press - who was regularly quoted giving glowing reviews to Sony's films - did not, in fact, exist.

He had reserved some of his highest praise for A Knight's Tale, which was poorly received by most (read: real) reviewers.

The Ridgefield Press, a local paper in Connecticut, does exist, but has no David Manning on its staff and was unaware its name was being used until the story was exposed by Newsweek.

Connecticut attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, who conducted the investigation into the practice, said that "these deceptive ads deserve two thumbs down - and now are getting a third from Sony itself."

When news of Mr Manning's non-existence came to Sony management's attention, the studio suspended two of its staff without pay.

Phoney reviews are only one of the low tricks that studios have admitted to when promoting their films. Sony has also admitted to paying its employees to pose as members of the public for film advertisements as well as to paying cinemas to show its trailers before popular films. It says it has stopped both practices.

Sony yesterday said it was "pleased to have the matter resolved," after a Connecticut court imposed the $325,00 fine. But it may be counting its chickens, as it still faces a lawsuit brought by disappointed movie-goers in Los Angeles.

Viggo Mortensento star in 'Borgia'

"Lord of the Rings" franchise star Viggo Mortensen is in negotiations to star in Myriad Pictures' "Borgia" for director Neil Jordan and Imagemovers. The project aims to go into production in the summer.

The historical drama, set in the 15th century, follows the corrupt Borgia family that includes siblings Lucretia and Cesare and their father Roderigo, who went on to become Pope Alexander VI and ran the 16th century Vatican as a crime syndicate. Mortensen will play Cesare, a hypocritical priest who plunders the nation to further his family's power.

Imagemovers' Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey are producing along with Jordan's producing partner Stephen Woolley. Myriad co-presidents Kirk D'Amico and Philip Von Alvensleben will executive produce with Myriad production president Lucas Foster.

Myriad, which is financing the $55 million picture through international sales, is retaining worldwide distribution rights to "Borgia." ICM, which reps Jordan, is handling North American distribution rights for Myriad.

Mortensen, repped by CAA and manager Lynn Rawlins, will star in the next two installments of New Line's "Lord of the Rings" franchise -- "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King." His credits include "28 Days," "A Walk on the Moon," "G.I. Jane" and "Portrait of a Lady."

Albert Brooks 'Till Death Do Us Part

Albert Brooks is poised to join Michael Douglas in "Till Death Do Us Part," an update of the 1979 comedy "The In-Laws." The Warner Bros. project is set for a June production start in Toronto and Chicago. Andy Fleming ("Dick") will direct.

Brooks will play a Gotham podiatrist whose daughter is marrying the son of a CIA agent (Douglas). The dads get into trouble abroad.

Brooks is writing his own next comedy, an untitled film he'll also direct. But it will be a departure in that he will not be the star. Instead, the film will feature an ensemble of young talent. He last starred in the Christine Lahti-directed "My First Mister," opposite Leelee Sobieski.

Douglas has long eyed "Till Death Do Us Part," and he'll start work right after starring for the first time with father Kirk in the comedy "Smack in the Kisser."

Miller to throw weight behind 'Fat Albert' role

After a nationwide search, newcomer Omar Benson Miller has been tapped to star as famed '70s cartoon character Fat Albert in 20th Century Fox/Davis Entertainment's live-action feature of the same name. Production is slated to begin next month in Los Angeles and Philadelphia with Forest Whitaker directing.

The project follows Fat Albert and his posse of friends, who come to life when they walk out of the cartoon and into the real world, resulting in havoc and high jinks.

Bill Cosby and Charles Kipps wrote the original draft of the screenplay, which is inspired by Cosby's long-running CBS cartoon "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids."

John Davis is producing the project through his Davis Entertainment, while Cosby and his wife, Camille, are executive producing. Fox production vp Vanessa Morrison is overseeing the project, reporting to production president Hutch Parker.

"Fat Albert has been an animated national treasure to generations. In attemping to bring Fat Albert to life, we needed to find a gifted actor and comedian as well as someone who could embody Albert's innate humanity. In Omar, we found the perfect Albert," Parker said.

Miller has only two credits to his name: the upcoming Disney feature "Sorority Boys," in which he plays a bully, and Universal Pictures' "Eight Mile" for director Curtis Hanson, in which he stars opposite rapper Eminem as his friend Sol, who dreams of making it big but lacks the power and motivation. Miller is repped by Michael Slessinger and Associates and MBST Entertainment.

Jennings could join Harry on the big screen

The Harry Potter phenomenon and its old-fashioned boarding school nostalgia has far-reaching effects. Two years ago, Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings novels were out of print. But today comes news that the classic schoolboy stories could be made into a new TV series or feature film.

The 90-year-old Buckeridge has been asked to sign an exclusive deal with Talkback Productions, the company behind Da Ali G Show, Brass Eye and I'm Alan Partridge.

If the plans go ahead, the books could be turned into a TV series or film for UK's Channel 4. Buckeridge told Brighton's The Argus: "I'm all in favour but I hope they don't make a mess of it. I want them to keep to the books as far as possible.

"I think Jennings would adapt well to the screen as there is a lot of life in the characters and movement in the plot.

"I would like the actor who plays Jennings to be just like the character in the books, slightly untidy, awake and with lots of personality."

Buckeridge introduced Jennings in 1948 in the form of a radio play. In the following 46 years, 25 books were published featuring the boarding school hero.

The books tell the adventures of Jennings and his sidekick, Darbishire, at Linbury Court Preparatory School, and have sold more than six million copies worldwide. It was announced in November 2001 that the first three books in the series are to launched in the US.

In a recent interview, Buckeridge wondered whether at last success in the States might be in his sights. "I have always accepted the fact that my books have no appeal in the States, but who knows what I may soon owe to the JK Rowling phenomenon?"

Note From the Editor,  When you start reading jenning -at 18-- you wonder what you did when you were 11-- you wonder why you didn't have all the adventures that Jennings seems to have--do read the books --they are the funniest school stories ever. A great book series although today hard to find due to out of print, definitely one to read for those age 9+

Hollywood Plugs Into Enron; Projects Gather Steam

Hollywood's interest in the Enron scandal is heating up three months after the company's bankruptcy filing, with at least four potential movie projects about the collapse of the energy trading giant in various stages of development. The burst of activity, fueled by a string of recent Enron-related book deals, promises to test studios' ability to tell a complex tale that deals with dubious accounting practices and hidden partnerships in a way that can draw a mass audience.

Film and TV producers seem determined to accomplish that by focusing on human elements of the scandal and doing what Hollywood has always done best in dramatizing real-life corruption -- finding a hero.

Two of the projects have ties to another big-screen tale of industry intrigue, "The Insider," and two of them borrow a page from the environmental heroine played by Julia Roberts in "Erin Brockovich" by pitting female protagonists against a corporate Goliath.

Talent agency International Creative Management is shopping film rights to an upcoming book about Enron whistle-blower Sherron Watkins titled "Power Failure," by journalist Mimi Swartz, according to her agents at Collins McCormack Literary Agency.

That book, recently sold to Doubleday for $500,000, examines the Enron debacle through the eyes of a leading female executive who found herself at odds with the company's male-dominated upper echelon.

Similarly, ICM brokered movie producer Scott Rudin's purchase of film rights to an Enron expose in the April issue of Vanity Fair magazine told from the perspective of Jan Avery, who was an accountant at Enron for eight years, an ICM spokesman said, confirming a report in Variety.

The author of the Avery article, Marie Brenner, also wrote the Vanity Fair story that became the basis for the "The Insider," which starred Russell Crowe as a tobacco industry whistle-blower courted by CBS' "60 Minutes."

Television producer Robert Greenwald, whose credits include last year's Marilyn Monroe mini-series "Blonde" and 2000's "The Audrey Hepburn Story," is taking a different tack with a two-hour Enron movie he is developing for the CBS network.

His film, tentatively titled "The Crooked E," will be based on the experiences of a young, "entry-level" manager, Brian Cruver, whose memoir of his nine months at Enron, "Anatomy of Greed," is due out from Avalon this spring.

"His is the downstairs looking at the upstairs," Greenwald told Reuters. "He looked at all this greed and presumption and he has a marvelous sense of humor and perspective. ... His personal stories are just amazing, of what it was like to work and live in that culture."

A CBS spokeswoman said the Greenwald project, if it gets made, would likely air sometime next season.

In another film project linked to "The Insider," former "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman, who was played by Al Pacino in the movie, was enlisted last month as a consultant for an Enron TV movie being developed by the FX cable channel and Artisan Television.

Recent films about corporate corruption have had mixed success at the box office.

"The Insider," while earning critical plaudits and seven Oscar nominations, did poorly at the box office and sparked considerable debate about the accuracy of events it portrayed. "Erin Brockovich," which garnered a best-actress Oscar for Roberts, was one of the highest-grossing films of 2000. CBS is a unit of Viacom Inc.

John Woo calls for less violence on film

He's one of the world's top directors, famous for his stylish but brutal and violent films, which include Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II. But Hong Kong director John Woo is having second thoughts about the wisdom of violent movies after the terrorist attacks of September 11.

"The attacks have influenced the US movie industry. It's made us feel that when it comes to violent movies there should be some control," Woo told Radio Free Asia's Mandarin language service.

"We should have some changes. We should instead make movies with encouraging stories, stories that give people hope and [promote] mutual understanding," he said.

Woo led a renaissance in Hong Kong action movies in the 1980s, and in 1993 became the first Asian director to produce a major Hollywood movie, Hard Target starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Woo confessed he was deeply moved by the September 11 attacks, and "impressed by the way people of various ethnic backgrounds helped each other."

"This encouraged me in my current project, which contains absolutely no violence. It tells a story of genuine friendship and honest humanity. It's about the early years of American history, when Chinese and Irish immigrants worked together to build the railroads," he said. Radio Free Asia is run by the US government and broadcasts all over Asia.

USA Network Ramps Up Development Department

USA Network continues its commitment to create original programming by expanding the development department, it was announced today.

Laurette Hayden is joining the Network as senior vice president, long form programming. She will be responsible for original movies and mini-series, and will be based in Los Angeles, reporting to Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president of series and long form programming.

``Laurette is an incredible and experienced television executive. I've wanted to work with her for years,'' said Mr. Wachtel. ``Having her at USA will certainly help us realize our goals of creating event television movies and mini-series.''

Ms. Hayden has held executive positions at the broadcast and cable networks a well as in feature films. Most recently, at Lifetime Television, she was responsible for more than 50 films after joining the company in 1997, including such projects as ``The Truth About Jane,'' ``An American Daughter'' and ``What Makes a Family.'' She also served as co-executive producer on ``Within These Walls,'' starring Ellyn Burstyn, and executive producer on ``Just Ask My Children,'' starring Virginia Madsen. Prior to Lifetime, Ms. Hayden was HBO's creative consultant on the Emmy®-winning mini-series ``From the Earth to the Moon.'' She was executive vice president of motion pictures for the Fred Silverman Company and vice president of HBO's original movies. In addition, she was NBC's director of mini-series and novels for television and director of development at the Samuel Goldwyn Company, where she also served as director of publicity and promotion.

Ms. Hayden began her motion picture career in 1980 at New World Pictures, where she was director of worldwide publicity after first serving as executive assistant to Roger Corman. Previously, Ms. Hayden was a reporter at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Stanford University. In addition, several promotions were announced.

Christof Bove to vice president, development, long form programming,
Michael Sluchan to director of development, longform programming,
Gary Shapiro to director of series development, reality programming and specials,
Bill McGoldrick to director of development, original series. All are based in Los Angeles.

Mr. Bove is responsible for supervising the development and production of the Mystery Movie franchise for the Network, and he reports to Mr. Wachtel. Since joining the company, Mr. Bove's projects have included the USA Original Movies ``Jane Doe'' with Teri Hatcher and Rob Lowe from executive producer Joel Silver, ``Hitched,'' Louis L'Amour's ``The Diamond of Jeru,'' ``The Darkling,'' and ``Wolf Girl,'' as well as the upcoming ``A Case of Evil'' starring Vincent D'Onofrio and Richard E. Grant. He joined the Network as an assistant and was promoted to creative executive in 1999. He was most recently manager of development in the longform department since January 2000. Among his current projects is the Network's Friday night mystery movie initiative. Prior to joining USA Network, Mr. Bove produced and directed several documentary films in the United States, Germany, and France, and served as a videographer on the motion picture ``Volcano'' for 20th Century Fox and the HBO film ``Indictment'' (a.k.a. ``McMartin.'') He earned a B.A. degree from Cornell University and an M.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts.

Mr. Sluchan is responsible for the development and production of longform projects and will report to Ms. Hayden. He joined USA Network as a creative executive in the longform department in October 1999. His current projects include the upcoming original movie ``Hearts of Men,'' starring James Caan. Recent projects include the original movies ``Another Day,'' starring Shannen Doherty, ``Beer Money'' and ``Trapped.'' Prior to joining USA Network, he was at Cosgrove/Meurer Productions, in 1998-99, first as manager of development, and then director of development. Before Cogrove/Meurer Productions, he was a development executive at ABC Pictures. He began his career as an assistant in the newsmagazine division at ABC News, and eventually joined ABC Entertainment where he assisted Barbara Lieberman, former head of movies and miniseries. Mr. Sluchan earned a B.A. degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Shapiro will oversee the development and production of various unscripted programs and specials and reports to Chris Sloan, senior vice president, reality programming and specials, USA Network. Among several major pilots, Mr. Shapiro's current projects include ``Survivor'' producer Mark Burnett's 15-part series, ``Combat Missions,'' and ``The USA Banzai Movie Friday.'' Since April 1999, he was promoted from creative executive in the series department to manager, his most recent position, concentrating on primetime hour-long dramas and comedies. He joined USA Network in April 1998 as an assistant in series development. He began his career as a post production assistant at DreamWorks SKG. He graduated with a B.S. degree from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication.

Mr. McGoldrick reports to Jackie Lyons, senior vice president of original series, and works on the development and production of original series. His current projects include ``Monk,'' starring Tony Shalhoub, and several others in development. Since April 1999, he was promoted from creative executive in the series department to manager in the scripted series department and oversaw the first season of ``Invisible Man'' for Sci Fi. He joined USA Network in May 1998 as an executive assistant and began his career as an assistant at Stephen Chao, Inc. He graduated with a B.S. degree from The University of Southern California.