Len Wiseman Tapped to Direct Remake of “Total Recall”

July 29, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

len-wiseman-on-set.jpgCULVER CITY, Calif., July 29, 2010 – Len Wiseman is in final negotiations to direct Columbia Pictures’ Total Recall, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. The film will be a new, contemporized adaptation of Total Recall, which was based on the story, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. Kurt Wimmer is writing the screenplay. Neal H. Moritz will produce through his Original Film banner.

Commenting on the announcement, Tolmach said, “Len has an incredible love of the genre and a great gift for action. He’ll bring a contemporary feel to the film while taking care with everything we love about Philip K. Dick’s original story.”

Moritz said, “I have been trying for years to work with Len and fortunately we finally found a great project that he loves as much as we do. Len is terrifically talented and we know he is the right director to re-imagine Total Recall for a new generation of fans.” Wiseman added, “I’ve always been fascinated with Philip K. Dick’s short story, and I’m excited at that prospect of diving even deeper into the type of world it evokes and the questions it asks. I love that the most crucial mystery our character is trying to solve is the one of his own soul.”

#LOTR Score to be Performed at Radio City with 300 Musicians

July 29, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

ABOUT THE FILM
Released on December 18, 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second installment in Peter Jackson’s fantasy adventure film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Set in Middle-earth, the story picks up with Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) trekking to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power while Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) search for the orc-captured Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd). All along, nefarious wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) awaits the Fellowship members at the Orthanc Tower in Isengard. Highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike, the film earned over $925 million worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing films of the year in the U.S. and worldwide. The film remains one of the top-10 highest-grossing worldwide films of all time. It won two Academy Awards®, a Grammy® Award and three BAFTAs, and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars®, Golden Globes®, and BAFTA Awards.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Howard Shore (Composer) is among today’s most respected, honored, and active composers and music conductors. His work with Peter Jackson on The Lord of the Rings trilogy stands as his most towering achievement to date, earning him three Academy Awards®. He has also been awarded four Grammys® and three Golden Globes. Shore was one of the original creators of Saturday Night Live where he served as the music director from 1975 to 1980. At the same time, he began collaborating with David Cronenberg, and has scored 12 of the director’s films, including The Fly, Dead Ringers, Crash, Naked Lunch and Eastern Promises for which he was honored with a Genie Award. Shore continues to distinguish himself with a wide range of projects, from Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, The Aviator, and Gangs of New York, to Ed Wood, The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and Mrs. Doubtfire. Shore’s music has been performed in concerts throughout the world. In 2003, Shore conducted the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Wellington, New Zealand. Since then, the work has had over 140 performances by the world’s most prestigious orchestras. In 2008, Howard Shore’s opera of The Fly premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and at The Los Angeles Opera. Other recent works include Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia and a piano concerto in 2010 for Lang Lang. He is currently working on his second opera and looks forward to a return to Middle-earth with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Shore received the Career Achievement for Music Composition Award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and New York Chapter’s Recording Academy Honors, ASCAP’s Henry Mancini Award and the Frederick Loewe Award. He holds honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and York University and he is an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters.

Ludwig Wicki (Conductor) began his career as a member of the Lucerne Symphony and Opera Orchestra and founder of the San Marco Brass and the Philharmonic Brass Quintet. After studying choral conducting with the music director of the world-renowned Dresdner Kreuzchores in Germany, Wicki became a permanent member of the Schola Romanum Luzernsis under the direction of Pater Roman Bannwart. Wicki then went on to become the music director at the Palace Chapel of Lucerne where he led the choir in Georgian chants and performances of Bach, Handel, Monteverdi and Palestrina, as well as the orchestra in works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and more. He inaugurated a Renaissance ensemble, Il Dolcimelo, and created the concert series Treffpunkt Haydn. In 1999, he founded the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, which has collaborated with internationally-renowned composers including Howard Shore, Randy Newman and Martin Böttcher. In 2007, the city of Lucerne presented Maestro Wicki with a Special Achievement Award for his contribution to the city’s cultural life.

Film music is the credo and passion of the Lucerne-based 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Ludwig Wicki. The group has garnered wide acclaim for projects such as James Bond in Concert, Italian Film Music: An Hommage to Ennio Morricone and Maurice Jarre and An Evening with Randy Newman. In 2007, the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra entered into a partnership with Academy Award®-winner Howard Shore and has performed his complete score for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. live to the epic motion picture. The project continues with the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of The King in 2010.

The Grammy® Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus, now in its 17th season, is one of the country’s leading children’s choruses. Led by founder and artistic director Dianne Berkun, BYC choristers study and perform a range of music in classical and non-classical genres. The Chorus has toured Austria, Russia, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany; performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden and the White House; sung with major artists such as Elton John, Barbara Cook, Lou Reed, John Legend, Natasha Bedingfield, Fantasia Barrino, Ray Davies, Judy Collins, Andrea Bocelli, and Mark Morris Dance Group.

Kaitlyn Lusk made her major orchestral singing debut with the Baltimore Symphony in 2003 at the age of 14 and has since been sought after for solo appearances with many of the nation’s leading orchestras. Since the fall of 2004, Kaitlyn has been the featured vocal soloist in Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony. She has performed this role with over 25 orchestras in the United States and Canada from the Philadelphia Orchestra to the San Francisco Symphony, and from the Houston Symphony to the Minnesota Orchestra. She has performed with conductors including Keith Lockhart, Alexander Mickelthwate, Allaistar Willis, Stuart Malina, Nicolas Palmer, Markus Huber. In January 2007, Kaitlyn made her European debut with Maestro John Mauceri and the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. In the summer of 2007, as part of an encore performance of The Lord of the Rings Symphony with the Cleveland Orchestra, she once again performed with Howard Shore, who in 2005 invited Kaitlyn to perform the Academy Award®-winning song as part of the Grammy® Honors of Howard Shore in New York City. In addition to her live performances, Kaitlyn’s first studio album, No Looking Back, features some of the top musicians and songwriters in the industry today and was produced by the award-winning composer and arranger, Kim Scharnberg.

* * *

This event is presented by CAMI Music and New York Comic Con in association with The One Ring.Net. Swiss International Air Lines is the official sponsor.

* * *

LISTINGS EDITORS: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Howard Shore’s Complete Score Live to Film plays at New York’s Radio City Music Hall (1260 Avenue of the Americas, at 50th Street) for two performances only, on Friday, October 8th and Saturday, October 9th at 7:30 p.m. Via subway, take the 1/B/D/F/V trains to 47-50 Street-Rockefeller Center, the N/R trains to 49th Street or the 1 train to 50th Street. Tickets are $59-$150. For tickets, visit http://www.radiocity.com/events/lotr-two-towers-2010.html or call Ticketmaster at 1-866-858-0008.

WWW.THERADIOCITYLOTRCONCERT.COM

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#LOST Auctioning Off all of its Stuff in Some Airplane Hangar in Santa Monica on the 21st and 22nd:

July 28, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

Profiles in History, in Partnership with ABC Studios, Will Offer Fans and Collectors over 1,000 Lots of Props, Costumes and Set Pieces From the Emmy Award-winning Television Series, LOST, Spanning All Six Seasons

Calabasas, CA-Profiles in History, the world’s largest auctioneer of Hollywood memorabilia, in partnership with ABC Studios, is proud to announce the details of the much anticipated “LOST” The Official Show Auction. The live auction of over 1,000 lots of props, costumes and set pieces from all six seasons of the hit ABC / Disney television series will take place live from Barker Hangar in the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, CA on Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22, 2010. Worldwide bidding begins at 1pm PST both days. Bids can be placed in person, via mail, phone, fax or live on the Internet here or here.

Highlights from the auction include Kate’s toy plane, Hurley’s winning lottery ticket, Locke’s Master Bowie hunting knife, Sawyer’s letter, Charlie’s “DS” ring and guitar, Mr. Eko’s club, The Hatch, Swan Station computer, Desmond’s fail safe key, smugglers’ Virgin Mary statue, Faraday’s journal, Hurley’s Camaro, a DHARMA van, DHARMA-branded food and supplies, as well as other key props, costumes and set pieces from all six seasons.

“Profiles in History is thrilled to be holding the LOST Auction. LOST is one of the most iconic TV shows ever created, and we are working in conjunction with ABC to offer fans from around the world an opportunity to own a memento of this amazing show. This is a once in a lifetime auction event that will celebrate one of the most beloved shows in television history,” said Joe Maddalena, President of Profiles in History.

The first 100 auction items have been posted and can be previewed by visiting http://www.profilesinhistory.com/lost-the-auction.html. All 1,000+ lots will be posted in the next few weeks, so fans and collectors are encouraged to check back frequently for more details and updates. A free, downloadable catalog will also be available.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Explore Scifi in a Three Night Screening in Beverly Hills:

July 28, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

womaninthemoon.gifBeverly Hills, CA – Can you travel at warp speed? Hear a scream in space? Rocket to the future? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will explore the physical realities of science fiction movies in the three-evening series “Out of This World: The Science of Space Movies” beginning on Thursday, August 5. “Out of This World” will continue on Friday, August 6, with a presentation of Fritz Lang’s 1929 silent classic “Woman in the Moon” and conclude on Saturday, August 7, with screenings of “Project Apollo” (1968) and “For All Mankind” (1989), documentaries that focus on NASA’s Apollo program.

All three evenings are being presented by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council. The following is information for each night:

“Out of This World: The Science of Space Movies”
Thursday, August 5, 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills
Hosted by Adam Weiner, the program will examine the physics principles behind many science fiction movies and explore how the fictional world of Hollywood can often provide an effective springboard into investigating real science. n an interactive presentation, Weiner will lead a physics-based analysis of famous scenes from such movies as “Planet of the Apes” (1968), “Superman” (1978), “Apollo 13” (1995), “Contact” (1997), “Event Horizon” (1997), “October Sky” (1999) and “Star Trek” (2009). Joining Weiner onstage will be writer Ann Druyan (“Contact”), writer Philip Eisner (“Event Horizon”) and former NASA flight director Gerry Griffin, who served as a technical advisor on “Apollo 13” and “Contact.” The program also will feature the films’ technical teams who will explain how scenes were created, as well as discussion with experts on space travel. Weiner is the author of Don’t Try This at Home! The Physics of Hollywood Movies. He currently teaches physics at The Bishop’s School, a private high school in La Jolla, California.

“Woman in the Moon” (1929)
Friday, August 6, 7 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater, Hollywood
Considered to be one of the most influential science fiction films of its time, this Lang classic, based on Thea von Harbou’s novel “Frau im Mond,” tells the story of a group of scientists and adventurers who take a rocket trip to the moon. The film stars Klaus Pohl, Willy Fritsch, Fritz Rasp and Gerda Maurus. The film was directed and produced by Lang and written by von Harbou. This evening also will be hosted by Weiner.

“Project Apollo” (1968) and “For All Mankind” (1989)
Saturday, August 7, 7 p.m. at The Silent Movie Theatre, Los Angeles

In collaboration with The Cinefamily, “Out of This World” continues with screenings of “Project Apollo” and “For All Mankind.”

Using fluid camera work and no narration, experimental filmmaker Ed Emshwiller’s “Project Apollo” was made for the United States Information Agency and gives a fascinating portrait of NASA’s Apollo project a full year before the actual moon landing.

“For All Mankind” is an Academy Award®-nominated documentary chronicling NASA’s Apollo missions from the 1960s and ‘70s. It features original mission footage, and interviews with the astronauts and excerpts from actual mission recordings. The documentary was directed by Al Reinert, and produced by Reinert and Betsy Broyles Breier.

Sundance Institute Announces Cinereach Project

July 27, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

Eleven Documentary and Narrative Feature Film Projects Selected for Development, Production
and Post-Production Support


LOS ANGELES, CA – Sundance Institute and Cinereach announced today the 2010 projects awarded grants for development, production, or post-production as part of a $1.5 million, three-year initiative, The Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute. The initiative is designed to support documentary and narrative feature film projects with themes that evoke global cultural exchange and social impact, and projects representing emerging and innovative voices selected for their distinctive and personal storytelling. The Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute is directly supporting eleven projects, each at a critical moment in their development.

In addition to grant awards, The Cinereach Project at Sundance Institute includes core artist support activity at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Directors Lab, Documentary Edit & Story Lab, Composers & Documentary Lab, the Creative Producing Feature and Documentary Labs, and the Sundance Film Festival.

“The unique partnership between Sundance Institute and Cinereach enables a deeper support of innovative independent film,” said Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute. “The initiative is an extension of the ongoing support provided by the Sundance Institute through our Labs and funding opportunities, dedicated to nurturing artists’ individual voices. We’re thrilled to be working with Cinereach to support these eleven documentary and narrative feature film projects at critical stages in their development.”

“I’m heartened by the breadth of support that has touched a dynamic group of projects in such a short time. Today’s filmmakers are charting their own destinies and it’s critical their custodians adapt alongside them,” said Philipp Engelhorn, Cinereach Founder and Executive Director. “We’re thrilled with our partnership with the Sundance Institute, and I believe the results are indicative of the power of collaboration in uncharted times.”

Projects recently selected as Sundance Institute Cinereach Grantees through the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program include:

Jim Jarmusch To Be Honored in Reykjavik

July 27, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson will present Director Jim Jarmusch with the 2010 RIFF Honorary Creative Award at the upcoming Reykjavik International Film Festival, September 23 – October 3. Jarmusch is without a doubt among the most important independent filmmakers of our time. Some of his best known films include Night 21b51b105946c845.jpgOn Earth (1991), Dead Man (1995), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), Broken Flowers (2005) and The Limits Of Control (2009). Known as a minimalist filmmaker, Jarmusch’s films are unhurried and often eschew traditional narrative structure to focus more on mood and character development, always with a strong sense of locale permeating his work.

He won the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes film festival for Broken Flowers in 2005, and has been nominated for the Golden Palm five times. He also won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for Stranger Than Paradise in 1984.

Three of Jarmusch’s films will be screened at RIFF. In addition, You Are Not I (1981) will be screened at the festival – a film Jarmusch made with his wife, Sara Driver, who will be joining him in Iceland.

Jarmusch will also do a masterclass and/or a Q&A in connection with the screenings of his films.

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Great Interview with Francis Ford Coppola and Alden Ehrenreich

July 24, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

http://youtube.com/v/5G5Z5ij_8C4.swf

Tetro director Francis Ford Coppola & his young star, Alden Ehrenreich sit down for an interview with Movie City News’ David Poland.

Looming Teamsters Strike Could Paralyze Hollywood

Believe it or not, Hollywood may be headed for another work stoppage in just two weeks. In 2007-2008, the Writers Guild struck, shuttering television and film production. In 2008-2009, a Screen Actors Guild stalemate lingered for almost a year, shutting down primarily film production. This time, the Hollywood Teamsters may strike – and that could immediately halt television and film production. For details, see my exclusive Hollywood Reporter story.

Sage entertainment law insights from probably the best guy in the field, Jonathan Handel. Jonathan’s of counsel at Troy Gould in Los Angeles, and writes the insanely good Digital Media Law blog.

Great Interview with Steven Soderbergh’s Shoes:

July 14, 2010 BelowTheLine No Comments

http://youtube.com/v/I82iGxGsuN8.swf

David Poland sits down for a ground up interview with Steven Soderbergh on the occasion of his latest release, The Informant! Here’s a peek at the conversation.



Edoardo Ballerini is an actor and a writer. He has appeared in over forty films and television series, including Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos and the indie hit Dinner Rush. He was last seen on Theater Row in New York in “Honey Brown Eyes.”You can reach Edoardo on Facebook or Twitter

Reviews: To Read or Not to Read (h/t to @edoballerini)

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