• Danny Devito Has Replaced Gregg Mottola
• Screenwriter Scott Frank Is Venturing Into The Director's Chair
• Morris Chestnut Will Star Opposite Young Rapper Lil' Bow Wow
• Love at Second Sight For Warner.
• Rob Schneider Is Not An Animal. He's A Barbarian.
• Is Adam Sandler Setting A Course For "Anger Management?"
• Dreamworks Pictures Likes The Taste Of A "Life Saver."
• This Is Not a Toy For Miramax Films
• Harry goes on breaking records around the world
• The Lord Of The Rings Sigh Of Relief For New Line
• FTC to Bless Studios' Kid Marketing Cleanup

• Previous Days

  • Monday Nov 26
  • Tuesday Nov 27
  • Wednesday Nov 28
  • Thursday Nov 29

Danny Devito Has Replaced Gregg Mottola

Danny DeVito has replaced Gregg Mottola as director of "Duplex," a Miramax comedy starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.

Mottola, who has a two-picture deal with Miramax, exited the project in preproduction earlier this month. His departure was described as an "mutual and amicable decision" by Meryl Poster, the studio's co-president of production.

"Duplex" revolves around a New York couple who dream of moving into a coveted duplex apartment, but must first murder the kind old woman who lives in it. The script was written by Larry Doyle, a supervising producer on "The Simpsons."

DeVito last directed "Death to Smoochy," a Warner Bros. picture out in March. DeVito co-stars in "Smoochy" with Ed Norton, Robin Williams and Catherine Keener.

"Duplex," a co-production with Stiller's Red Hour and Barrymore's Flower Films, goes into production in January. Mottola won industry attention with his 1996 feature "The Daytrippers." He has since directed episodes of fledgling Fox hit comedy "Undeclared."

Screenwriter Scott Frank Is Venturing Into The Director's Chair

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Scott Frank is venturing into the director's chair. The scribe is attached to direct Universal Pictures' "Bye Bye Brooklyn" for Marc Platt Prods. and Gary Ross' Larger Than Life Prods.

Frank will now oversee the development of the script, which was written by Jordan Roberts. It is a period piece set during the 1940s and follows a fatherless Jewish boy from Brooklyn who befriends a member of the New York Giants baseball team just before the start of World War II.

Marc Platt, Gary Ross and Jane Sindell are producing "Brooklyn," with Universal president of production Mary Parent overseeing.

"Brooklyn" reunites Frank with Universal, for whom he wrote the 1998 feature "Out of Sight," which earned him a Academy Award nomination for screenplay. Frank also was a producer on the studio's "The Caveman's Valentine" starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Frank, who is repped by CAA, also is a writer on the upcoming Steven Spielberg-directed feature "Minority Report." His credits include "Get Shorty," "Malice" and "Little Man Tate."

Ross and his Larger Than Life also are repped by CAA. Ross is prepping an untitled romantic comedy for the studio that will topline Jim Carrey, with Nicole Kidman in negotiations to join. Platt's producing credits include "Legally Blonde" and "Josie and the Pussycats."

Morris Chestnut Will Star Opposite Young Rapper Lil' Bow Wow

Morris Chestnut will star opposite young rapper Lil' Bow Wow in 20th Century Fox's "Like Mike" for director John Schultz and producer Barry Josephson. Production is scheduled to start in January in Los Angeles.

Written by Mike Elliot, "Mike" centers on a youngster (Lil' Bow Wow) who finds a pair of Michael Jordan sneakers that have magical powers and catapult him to an NBA team called the Knights. Chestnut will play Tracy, an edgy, tough basketball player who resents his 11-year-old teammate but comes to learn that they have a lot in common.

Fox picked up the project as a spec in April, paying $300,000 against $600,000. Elliot's manager Peter Heller is producing through his Heller Highwater management/production company. Elliot will receive a co-producer credit. TCF vp production Elysa Koplovitz brought the project to the production division, headed by Hutch Parker.

Chestnut, repped by CAA and Talent Entertainment Group's Brian Medavoy, is in Berlin shooting the Screen Gems action feature "Half Past Dead" opposite Steven Seagal. He most recently appeared in Screen Gems' "Two Can Play That Game" and "The Brothers" and the Showtime telefilm "The Killing Yard."

In a pre-emptive move, the Walt Disney Co. has jumped on K.A. Hoeffner's "Welcome Wagon," acquiring the scribe's romantic comedy spec for low- against mid-six figures.

Hoeffner's script tells the story of group of sorority sisters -- known as the "welcome wagon" -- who treat young football prospects to the best week of their lives.

The story, which unfolds over the course of one wild weekend, focuses on the romance between a highly recruited quarterback from Alabama and a young coed who works in the sorority kitchen. In drafting the script, Hoeffner drew from her own experiences as a college student at the University of Texas, sources said.

Max Wong and Karen Firestone of Pinkslip Pictures will produce along with Hoeffner's manager Patrick Faulstich. Disney vp production Karen Glass and director of production Doug Short are overseeing the project for the studio.

The deal marks Hoeffner's first feature spec sale. Her other credits include the video release "Winning London" starring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. She is repped by Faulstich, Warden, White & Associates and attorney Rob Szymanski.

Wong executive produced "Bring It On" for Beacon Pictures and Universal and the upcoming "Tuck Everlasting" for Disney.

Love at Second Sight For Warner.

Warner Bros. Pictures-based John Wells Prods. has purchased scribe Kevin Bisch's latest pitch, "Love at Second Sight," for mid-six figures.

The romantic comedy centers on a cynical young man who abandons his skepticism when he believes a psychic's forecast that he's already met his true love -- but he must identify the woman himself.

Bisch recently sold his spec "The Last First Kiss" to Columbia Pictures, with Overbrook Entertainment attached to produce as a possible starring vehicle for Overbrook principal Will Smith.

Rob Schneider Is Not An Animal. He's A Barbarian.

The star of "The Animal" and "Deuce Bigelow" has committed in principle to making "Harv the Barbarian" his next project, provided financial agreements can be reached.

The comedy, which has been in development for more than six years, is described as a sardonic, Monty Python-esque tale of a simple barbarian who finds himself on a voyage of self-discovery. Shooting on the $25 million project is slated for a June start.

DreamWorks Pictures is hammering out a deal with British producer Winchester Films to co-finance and handle domestic distribution on "Harv," which has come perilously close to civilization over the years at both Miramax Films and Paramount Pictures, but to no avail. Negotiations have not yet begun with Scheider.

DreamWorks gave "Harv" the go-ahead based on both Schneider's interest as well as the studio's hopes that it could become a franchise.

Is Adam Sandler Setting A Course For "Anger Management?"

Sandler is looking for his next movie, and sources say he's leaning strongly playing a timid businessman who is sentenced to an anger management program where he finds himself tutored by an ultra-aggressive psycho.

The comedy took root at Sony-based Revolution Studios last year. Sandler likes David Dorfman's script, and if he commits, his Happy Madison banner would come aboard to produce.

Already rumors have been swirling about potential stars who might play the instructor, with the wish list including the likes of Jack Nicholson, though no offers have been made.

Sandler, who with partner Jack Giarraputo has a deal at Revolution, recently completed his first starring stint there in the untitled comedy written and directed by "Boogie Nights" writer-helmer Paul Thomas Anderson. He also starred in "Deeds," the Columbia pic inspired by "Mr. Deeds Comes to Town."

"Anger Management" is one of several projects that has been in Sandler's orbit lately, but it seems to be the closest to be ready for production.

He has been keeping a close eye on "Fifty First Kisses," a romantic comedy about a man who falls in love with a woman whose short-term memory disorder means he has to make her fall in love with him all over again, every day.

Sandler and Julia Roberts could work together on that film, which is based at Sony's Columbia and will be directed by Jay Roach. Roach, however, is busy directing "Austin Powers in Goldmember," which must be ready for a summer 2002 release.

At the same time, Sandler is said to be circling "Scared Guys," a Dean Parisot-directed comedy about a man with phobias who attempts to leave his apartment for the first time in years to stop a contract killing.

The Columbia picture was originally expected to star Robert De Niro until he dropped out to star in "Analyze That."

Dreamworks Pictures Likes The Taste Of A "Life Saver."

Scribe Mark Perez has buoyed the studio with his comedy pitch, which the studio nabbed for an initial $600,000. The deal could end up being worth double that if the film gets made.

DreamWorks is tightlipped about the project, which is said to be a comedy in the tradition of "Planes, Trains & Automobiles."

A prolific Mouse House scribe who started at the studio's writer-in-residence program, Perez has two pics in post-production at DreamWorks: the Bob Simonds-produced comedy "Frank McKlusky, C.I.," starring Dave Sheridan, Randy Quaid and Dolly Parton, and "The Country Bears," starring Haley Joel Osment, Charles S. Dutton and Christopher Walken.

Perez is also writing an original script for Disney -- "Mr. Family," a comedy about a man who hires his housekeeper and her kids to pose as his family in an effort to keep his job at his family-oriented company.

This Is Not a Toy For Miramax Films

Miramax Films has acquired the rights to Cindy Davis Hewitt's family comedy script "This Is Not a Toy"

Based on an original idea by Cindy and Donald Hewitt, the story concerns a young boy's toy, Action Man, who comes to life and winds up running for president.

"The concept of an action figure coming to life is exciting for kids, and his campaign for office has great satirical resonance for adults," said Bob Osher, Miramax co-president of production.

The Hewitts are currently working on a feature project for Pixar, and their script "Happily Every After" is under option at Industry Entertainment and will go out to directors shortly.

Harry goes on breaking records around the world

This weekend will raise the bar again in the boxoffice record books as Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and Buena Vista's "Monsters, Inc." will both sprint past the $200 million mark, becoming the fourth and fifth films released this year to reach that level -- more than any year in history.

"Potter" should cross the $200 million threshold today, or in 15 days -- the second-fastest of all time after 20th Century Fox's "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," which reached that level in 13 days. "Monsters" is set to hit that mark Saturday or Sunday. But if the Pixar-produced "Monsters" holds up anywhere near as well as it did last weekend, when it generated a 6% increase from the previous week, it has an outside shot at reaching that mark today.

Films released this year that have entered that rarefied stratum at the boxoffice are DreamWorks' "Shrek" ($267.6 million), New Line's "Rush Hour 2" ($225.7 million) and Universal's "The Mummy Returns" ($202 million). Even with the addition of "Potter" and "Monsters," there might still be a few more films added to that list -- or landing close to it -- when all of the boxoffice receipts are tallied for films released this year.

There are still several highly anticipated high-profile films in the pipeline that will hit theaters before the year is out: Warner Bros.' "Ocean's Eleven," New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," Paramount's "Vanilla Sky," Warner Bros.' "The Majestic" and Sony's "Ali." Miramax's "Kate and Leopold" starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman screened strongly at ShowEast this year and is being talked about by industry observers as a possible sleeper hit for the holidays.

Before 2001, the year with the record for the most releases that grossed more than $200 million each was 1999, when four films topped that mark. The top films that year were led by "Phantom Menace" ($431 million), followed by Buena Vista's "The Sixth Sense" ($293.5 million), "Toy Story 2" ($245.7 million) and New Line's "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" ($205.4 million).

Last year, there were only three releases that took home more than $200 million each: Universal's "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" ($260 million), Fox's "Cast Away" ($233.6 million) and Paramount's "Mission: Impossible 2" ($215.4 million).

With an all-time high number of films crossing the $200 million mark this year, the national boxoffice for the year to date stands at $7.2 billion, up 10% from the record pace of a year ago. The national boxoffice reached the $7 billion plateau five weeks faster than any previous year.

As projected by the Trade Press HR, the national boxoffice for the year is on track to top the $8 billion mark for the first time. If the total boxoffice for the year-end holiday period only matches the comparable period in 2000, the national boxoffice will finish the year with $8.3 billion, and estimated admissions should tie or beat 1998's 1.48 billion, which was the largest number of admissions since 1959.

But to reach that level of boxoffice, this year's crop of films will have to perform exceptionally well. The year-end holiday period last year was the biggest on record, producing four seven-day periods that generated more than $200 million each. Christmas week a year ago racked up $289.2 million -- the biggest seven-day period in boxoffice history.

Working in this year's favor is that both the Christmas week and New Year's week contain five-day weekends because the holidays fall on Tuesday. The last time the two holidays fell on Tuesday was in 1990, when Fox's "Home Alone," Paramount's "The Godfather: Part III" and Universal's "Kindergarten Cop" were in theaters.

After breaking several boxoffice records, Warner Bros.' newly minted "Harry Potter" franchise is looking to set a record on the small screen as well.

ABC has sealed a deal with Warner Bros. for the TV rights to "Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone" and its sequel, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," for a price that could hit $135 million-$140 million, depending on the boxoffice performance of the second film. The split-window deal gives ABC the right to run the films on the Walt Disney Co.-owned cable networks the Disney Channel and ABC Family as well.

The price tag for "Sorcerer's Stone" alone is said to be about $70 million. "Chamber of Secrets" is due out in November 2002.

The length of the license term on each movie is 10 years. ABC will acquire the rights in the second half of 2004 for "Sorcerer's Stone" and the second half of 2005 for "Chamber of Secrets," after the completion of the films' run on HBO as part of the pay TV cable network's output deal with Warner Bros.

Sources said the estimated fee for "Sorcerer's Stone" is believed to be the highest ever for a broadcast TV deal that did not involve buying out the pay TV window. ABC will get a first crack at each film, followed by multiple runs shared among the network, ABC Family and the Disney Channel.

The "Sorcerer's Stone" fee is higher than the roughly $60 million ABC paid Universal earlier this year for a 10-year shared-window deal on "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," also to be shared with the Disney Channel.

"Sorcerer's Stone's" only competition for the record books are Fox Broadcasting Co.'s deals with Universal for "Lost World: Jurassic Park" and with sibling studio 20th Century Fox for "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," pegged at $80 million each.

Because in both cases Fox bought out the pay TV window for the movies, the nonpay TV part of the licensing fee is estimated to be in the vicinity of $65 million.

"This significant deal provides clear and distinct opportunities for three of our programming platforms -- the ABC Television Network, ABC Family and the Disney Channel," ABC Broadcast Group president Steve Bornstein said in a statement. "More importantly, this acquisition will provide our viewers with numerous occasions to experience these great family adventures."

Added Anne Sweeney, president of ABC Cable Networks Group and Disney Channel Worldwide, "The 'Harry Potter' films will be an incredible addition to our successful Disney Channel primetime movie lineup."

Sources said Warner Bros.' corporate sibling Turner Broadcasting was a front-runner for the cable part of the window, but sharing the rights with TBS was a stumbling block in the studio's negotiations with ABC, which wanted to share it with its own cable platforms.

" 'Harry Potter' is already considered a timeless family classic that audiences all over the world have embraced in record numbers," Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution president Eric Frankel said. "We think that ABC, with its multifamily platforms, is a terrific vehicle to showcase this film, which is a phenomena like very few others in the history of our business."

The "Potter" deal gives ABC the rights to the two hottest movies so far this holiday season. Disney/Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." is part of the network's output deal with Disney.

Warner Bros. took "Sorcerer's Stone" on the market months ago, but the bidding, which sources said also included Fox Broadcasting Co., heated up after the movie's stellar premiere.

In its opening weekend, "Sorcerer's Stone" broke the boxoffice record for a three-day debut ($90.3 million). The movie also took over the top two spots in the biggest single-day grosses with its first two days of release ($32.3 million and $33.5 million). The movie tied "Phantom Menace's" speed record by hitting the $100 million mark on the fifth day of release. "Sorcerer's Stone" is poised to cross the $200 million mark today, the movie's 15th day in the boxoffice.

The Lord Of The Rings Sigh Of Relief For New Line

New Line Cinema breathed a sigh of relief Wednesday as the Internet went on overload with positive buzz for "The Lord of the Rings" after an exhibitor screening this week, which also got thumbs up from theater owners.

"We've had our fingers crossed for two years," said New Line distribution president David Tuckerman. "(The exhibitors) are as happy with the film as we are."

This is great news for a movie that, until now, has to be considered an underdog -- despite the fact that it's a $270 million, star-laden project based on an all-time bestseller with a rabid global following.

But that's the perception of New Line's "Rings" trilogy in the wake of extraordinary promotional hoopla and record-breaking box office for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" from sister company Warner Bros.

The worldwide launch Dec. 19 of the trilogy's first installment, "The Fellowship of the Ring," will be an acid test of New Line's ability to pull its weight within the AOL Time Warner empire -- and to justify its continued existence as a quasi-independent unit.

However, the mega-project still faces numerous trials on its quest for mega-success.

- New Line has scheduled a day-and-date release (except Japan and Italy) overseas via a network of independent distributors, each with its own strengths and vulnerabilities. This is a formula that's been used more with action films than "event" pictures, so it's uncharted territory for all involved.

- While it has sold more than 100 million copies, "Rings" has a demographic appeal that's broader and older than that of "Harry," meaning it will take a lot of education to make the setting and characters familiar to the core youth audience.

- New Line has embarked on this project of unprecedented size and ambition at the exact moment that the company itself is at its most vulnerable. The studio has released more than its share of flops in recent years, and AOL is not likely to be impressed by anything less than a blockbuster.

While both "Harry" and "Rings" are both massive projects sprung from the same corporate parent, there is a world of difference between them -- for starters, they are from the respective directors of "Home Alone" and "Heavenly Creatures."

"Harry" is the engine of a vast merchandising empire, intended to embody the vision of the book's author J. K. Rowling as literally as possible.

"Rings," by contrast, is pitched as the work of a visionary filmmaker, the end-product of more than six years of obsession by New Zealander Peter Jackson.

On a business level, Warners' decision to greenlight the first installment of the "Harry Potter" franchise was made after the AOL-TW merger in January 2000, but the company inherited New Line's greenlight of "Rings."

And while "Harry" is AOL-TW's baby worldwide, New Line paid for 65% of "Rings" through foreign pre-sales. That means the parent has much less risk, but also less upside.

Still, AOL-TW is putting its synergistic muscle to use: The trailer for "Fellowship" ran at the end of series "Angel" on the WB, AOL is sporting the brand on everything from chat rooms to sweepstakes, and Warner Bros. Records will release the soundtrack.

It won't fail for any lack of passion or money from New Line and its foreign partners. While New Line would not confirm the P&A (prints and advertising) spend on "Fellowship," New Line domestic marketing president Russell Schwartz said it was on the scale of other major holiday films such as "Harry Potter" and "Ocean's Eleven."

In addition to aiding the bottom line, New Line sees tie-ins as a good way to introduce the characters to an audience beyond the "true believers," as hardcore Tolkien fanatics are known.

"Rings" is attached to more than 40 licensed products, including videogames, toys, collectibles, trading cards, even swords. The partnerships extend to tie-ins with Burger King, JVC, Barnes & Noble and General Mills.

"You have to practice prudent aggression," Schwartz says -- an approach that also extends to the international distribution strategy.

In late 1999, New Line's worldwide distribution and marketing president Rolf Mittweg convinced 25 distributors that in order to have a blockbuster, they would have to pony up some $160 million -- in advance. Now he is coordinating his merry band of distributors to create a worldwide day-and-date release.

For all their logistical challenges, foreign indies may be New Line's secret weapon. The marketing and distribution of "Rings" is more akin to a guerrilla campaign fought by a loose network of local tribes with an unrivaled knowledge of the terrain -- and a hell of a lot more at personal stake than Warners' colonial officers.

"I think we have the best companies out there," Mittweg says. "They will do everything possible not to pale against the big (distributors)."

In some countries, such as Italy, with Medusa, the films' local distributor is more powerful than any major. In Australia, "Rings" distributor Village Roadshow also releases Warners pictures.

"It has involved three times as much work as any other film we've released" says Metropolitan's Victor Hadida. The French distributor has committed $5 million on P&A, twice as much as the company spent on its local smash "Brotherhood of the Wolf."

New Line also gets a dose of synergy via Warner Bros. Intl., which is releasing "Ring" in Latin America, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Eastern Europe and Russia.

Early indications are good, with Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers rating the picture as the best of the year, and Swedes shivering in line for five days to get advance tickets, but New Line won't know for almost another month if the underdog will come out on top.

"You can't worry about what they're going to do to you," Schwartz says. "Our people are hungrier, they have a lot to prove, and they have to find a way to make this work."

After all, Frodo Baggins is the ultimate underdog, but he triumphs in the end. New Line is hoping to follow in his hobbit footsteps.

FTC to Bless Studios' Kid Marketing Cleanup

Film studios, music labels and movie theater owners are on high alert as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gets ready to deliver a major report card next week on the entertainment industry's efforts to ensure violence isn't plugged to kids.

The much-awaited review, likely to be released Wednesday (Dec 5,2001), is expected to give Hollywood studios solid, if not high, marks for implementing successful marketing reforms. Speculation is that the recording industry could again take hits, however.

Hollywood was rocked in September 2000 when the FTC released a scathing report charging the entertainment industry with marketing violence and smut to kids. Studio chieftains and record execs were berated during high-profile congressional hearings, with the studios' top lobbyist, Jack Valenti, himself absorbing a rare rebuke.

The FTC's next report is expected to be more comprehensive than a mid-term document released last spring, and will include progress made by theater owners in making sure that the audiences of films rated for restricted audiences are truly restricted.

Studios and the video game industry fared well in the first follow-up, while the music business was sharply criticized.

Much has changed since then, particularly with the war on terrorism. Hollywood is enjoying a much kinder reception in Washington these days, with the Bush administration actively relying on the entertainment biz to help in the war effort.

The release of the FTC report will dovetail with a White House meeting Thursday between Hollywood lobbyists and top administration officials. At the unusual gathering, entertainment reps will be debriefed on a Nov. 11 meeting White House adviser Karl Rove held with industryites in Los Angeles.

Hollywood's war effort is being coordinated by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, which is headed by Valenti. Recording Industry Assn. of America president-CEO Hilary Rosen also participated in the Nov. 11 meeting in Los Angeles and will likewise be at the Thursday White House meeting.

The improved relations between Hollywood and Washington could help soften the blow of the FTC follow-up in those instances where the consumer agency is critical.

Rosen has insisted that the music business has taken proactive steps to make sure the industry's voluntary labeling system does its job in protecting kids from violent lyrics.

Last spring, Rosen was blasted by Capitol Hill politicians armed with the FTC's first follow-up report. At that time, the FTC concluded that the record biz had done little in the way of marketing reforms.

This time around, it's unlikely the FTC's report card will garner the same attention in a Congress preoccupied with the war on terrorism and problems on the domestic front.

The FTC will continue to keep its eye on the entertainment industry's marketing practices with regard to kids, but the release of the follow-up report is expected to mark the end of a nasty chapter, particularly for studios. Last week, Congress did set aside $500,000 for the FTC to use in continued monitoring.