UPDATE: Paramount Says Jeremy Renner Never Told Extra Hes Taking Over Mission: Impossible From Tom Cruise

2ND UPDATE 8:30 PM: Extra has now revised its website. Here is the full account ofhow Jeremy Renner replied to the question about “the rumors his Mission: Impossible character might possibly take over in a 5thinstallment of the franchise. Renner shot down the rumor, replying:’I don’t think that’s really ever a possibility. I think thepossibility, first and foremost, is for audiences to receive this movie and like it, want to see more.And then it’s Tom’s willingness to want to do another one,to put together another big movie like this. These aren’t easy to put together.So if Paramount and Tom want me to do it, I’d be happy to be a part of it.I’dbe up for it… assuming my character doesn’t croak. I’m not going to tellya!’ “ UPDATE 7:30 PM: Now Paramount is denying the Extra account of its interview with Jeremy Renner. In fact Deadline was just played a portion of the tape by the studio. Renner is asked about the rumors that he would replace Tom Cruise on the Mission: Impossible franchise. And Rennerresponds: “No, I don’t think that’s ever really a possibility.” Sounds like Extra didn’t presentRenner’s full reply and in doing so changed the meaning of what he said. But it’s also clear from the way the studio jumped into the fray that Paramountwants to ensure nobad blood between Renner and Cruise. PREVIOUS: During an Extra interview promoting Paramount’sMission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, Jeremy Renner replied to a question about taking over the franchise lead:”I’d be up for it, and Tom wants me to do it. I’d be happy to be a part of it. But that’s assuming my character doesn’t croak [in this one]. I’m not going to tell you.” Renner already has takenover a new lead rolein Universal’sBourne franchise.

AFTRAs Mind PR Leaves To Become Listed On 42West

After an 11-year stint in the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the stars union’s top PR executive, National Director of Communication Christopher p Haan, is departing to become listed on entertainment PR firm 42West a professional within the Proper Communications division. There, p Haan is anticipated to still use AFTRA, that has been a customer of 42West since 2007. P Haan’s last day is going to be 12 ,. 16, and AFTRA will probably title his successor the following month. The move may come as the 2 stars unions, SAG and AFTRA, continue merger talks. P Haan first became a member of AFTRA at the begining of 2001 as National Assistant within the Entertainment, Advertisements, Non-Broadcast/Industrial, and Interactive Media departments. He later offered as National Manager of Communications and was upped to National Director in 2008.

'The Sing-Off' Season 3 Champs Are ...

The Two and A Half Men producer that took on Charlie Sheen, the biggest name in Spanish TV, the former head of Disney, and Fred and Ethel Mertz are among the latest inductees into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.our editor recommends'I Love Lucy': 5 Things to Know About the SeriesBunim/Murray and Henson Alternative Team on Satirical Puppet Show (Exclusive)Michael Eisner Sells Comedy Project to ABCRelated Topics•Charlie Sheen The executive producer of Two And A Half Men as well The Big Bang Theory and Mike and Molly is Chuck Lorre, who survived Sheen's anger to see his show become even stronger in the ratings. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Blunders He is joined among the 21st annual Hall of Fame inductees by Michael Eisner, who was CEO of the Walt Disney Company from 1985 until 2005; Don Francisco, the popular longtime Univision show host; Sherman Hemsley, the actor who most famously played George Jefferson; TV lighting legend Bill Klages; producers Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, who are widely credited with inventing the modern reality TV genre; and the late Vivian Vance and William "Bill" Frawley, who will forever be remembered as Ethel and Fred Mertz, the best friends of the Ricardo's on I Love Lucy. "The group of inductees for this year's Hall of Fame has had a remarkable impact in all areas of the television industry, from performers and hosts to producers and executives," said Mark Itkin, the WME board member who headed the selection committee. The announcement was made by Television Academy Chairman and CEO John Shaffner, who ends his tenure as head of the group at the end of December. The other members of this year's selection committee were Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment at FOX; Peter Roth, President of Warner Brothers Television; Fred Silverman, founder of the Fred Silverman Company and former executive at ABC, CBS and NBC; Nina Tassler, President of CBS Entertainment; and Steve Venezia, Director, Content Services at Dolby Laboratories, Inc. The 2012 inductees join more than 120 others in the Hall of Fame. Past honorees include Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Walter Cronkite, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Mary Tyler Moore, Barbara Walters, Dan Rather, Oprah Winfrey, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Lorne Michaels, Carl Reiner, Katie Couric, Bob Mackie, Bob Barker, Bea Arthur, Bill Cosby, Regis Philbin, William Shatner, Bob Stewart and Candice Bergen. The Academy's information about the new inductees follows after the break. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Chuck Lorre & His TV Empire Related Topics Chuck Lorre Michael Eisner The Real World Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 1 2 next last

FCC Moves To Bar AT&T Cope With T-Mobile Predicting Massive Job Loss

Up-to-date: The merger from the wireless companies had been around the ropes after August once the Justice Department stated it might challenge the offer in the court on antitrust grounds. Now FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is circulating a draft order that will add an essential additional barrier towards the deal: It might request an administrative law judge to think about if the combo would serve the general public interest — following the finish from the Justice trial, because of come from Feb.That will significantlydelay and complicate the AT&T and T-Mobile’s merger plans. The final time the FCC did this — in 2002 when Echostar desired to merge with DirecTV — the businesses scrapped their plan. Genachowski’s proposal followsa conclusion by FCC staff thatconsumers could be injured if AT&T and T-Mobile merge. “The record reveals that — in no uncertain terms — this merger would create a massive lack of U.S. jobs and investment” as AT&T cuts costs to create the financial aspects from the deal work, a senior FCC official states. The company discovered that there’d be less competition in 99 from the 100 greatest marketplaces. (The exception is Omaha.) Staffers also came to the conclusion the deal wouldn't improve deployment of 4G services. When the FCC decides to not approve a merger such as this, it needs to send the situation for an administrative law judge for any court-like hearing that will take a look at if the deal would serve the general public interest. The judge’s finding would go back fully FCC for any election. AT&T states the FCC’s draft order is “yet another illustration of a government agency acting to avoid billions in new investment and the development of many 1000's of recent jobs at any given time once the U.S. economy frantically needs both. At this time around, we're looking at all options.” But Dish Network — that has been gathering wireless spectrum with the hope of starting a broadband service — states the FCC made the best decision. An AT&T-T-Mobile mergerwould raise “barriers to entry for potential new newcomers like Dish Network.” Consumer advocates also congratulated the company. “It means the FCC finds merit within our arguments that the combined AT&T/T-Mobile can create a duopoly within the wireless market (AT&T and Verizon) that will increase prices for service as well as for mobile phone models,” states Media Access Project Policy Director Andrew Jay Schwartzman. Free Press Boss Craig Aaron states the Department of Justice and also the FCC both agree this merger is really a bad deal, and it is time for AT&T just to walk away.

Ewan McGregor to Star in HBO's 'The Corrections'

Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesEwan McGregor Ewan McGregor continues to be drawn on to star in Cinemax's drama pilot The Corrections. The The Exorcist and Moulin Rouge actor will co-star alongside Dianne Wiest and Chris Cooper in Noah Baumbach and Scott Rudin's adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's best-seller, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. McGregor will have Nick, the center child of the seniors Midwestern couple (Cooper, Wiest) who reunite the household for just one last Christmas. STORY: Dianne Wiest Set, Chris Cooper in Talks for Cinemax's 'The Corrections' Rudin optioned the film privileges for Vital towards the National Book Award-winning novel in 2001 and would executive produce the project. STORY: Noah Baumbach to defend myself against Jonathan Franzen's 'The Corrections' for Cinemax Baumbach and Franzen will pen the project and professional produce, with Baumbach pointing the drama, that is presently in production. McGregor's TV work includes guest starring on NBC's ER in 1997 in addition to showing up as themself within the U.K. TV docuseries Lengthy Way Lower. McGregor's approaching features range from the Impossible and Jack the large Killer. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com Twitter: @Snoodit Ewan McGregor TV Development

Howard Stern Shoots Lower Americas Got Talent Gossips

First Launched: November 14, 2011 12:22 PM EST Credit: Getty Images La, Calif. -- Caption Howard Stern attends a screening of Eco-friendly Zone in NY City on February 25, 2010Howard Stern states hes not applying over for outgoing Americas Got Talent judge Piers Morgan, but furthermore won't reveal if hes in talks for your NBC gig. Everyone knows I like Americas Got Talent. I believe that it is the best which i possibly could be certainly honored to sit down lower with Howie [Mandel] and Sharon [Osbourne] and choose these lunatics, the shock jock mentioned on his on SiriusXM Radio on Monday morning. I take show business very seriously, Howard ongoing. Essentially will be a judge online, there'd be sincere whatsoever. I'd be there for your talent. I'd be there to actually find somebody good. Adding, I am not the next judge. I have no deal with Americas Got Talent I'm not prone to comment if Im in discussions I dont discuss discussions. As formerly reported on AccessHollywood.com, the other day sources told The Wall Street Journal radio stations giant is at talks with NBC to participate the panel, in the deal regarded as worth possibly $15 million yearly. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CMA Honours wow Wednesday

Taylor Quick works throughout Wednesday's New Bands Honours, which came a superb 16.3 million audiences to ABC.A lot of the competition needed popular Wednesday as ABC preempted its strong entertainment selection for your New Bands Assn. Honours, which gave it its finest evening in the fall. NBC's ''Harry's Law'' was really the only series to edge up week to week.According to preliminary national estimations from Nielsen, the ''45th Annual CMA Awards'' averaged a sizable 4.8 rating/12 participate grownups 18-49 and 16.3 million audiences overall from 8 to 11, peaking getting a 5. demo score at 9:30. The kudocast was up a tick year upon year and shipped the finest nightly average for nearly any evening on ABC this fall , as well as the the 2nd perfect for nearly any entertainment selection on any network this season (behind only the evening of Ashton Kutcher's bow on CBS' ''Two . 5 Men'').The show hit a seven-year filled with males 18-34 (3./9) and ABC won the evening overall: both males and girls in 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 additionally to teens and 50-plus.Fox will be a solid second round the evening among 18-49ers having its two-hour ''The X Factor'' (3.7/10 in 18-49, 10.millions of audiences overall), which peaked inside the 9:30 half-hour getting a 4. demo rating. Though prone to can be found in lower about 5% week to week, the music activity contest provided the web with substantial time-period improvement , greater than 40% a lot better than two several hours of ''Hell's Kitchen'' opposite the CMAs this past year (2.6/7).As they are usually situation, CBS was hit most difficult with the CMA Honours, as ''Survivor'' (3.1/9 in 18-49, 10.6 000 0000 audiences overall) was lower greater than 10% from last week's season how. Also, crime dramas ''Criminal Minds'' (3.4/8 in 18-49, 11.3 million audiences overall) and ''CSI'' (2.5/7 in 18-49, 10.millions of audiences overall) were lower some, while using former ranking third in 18-49 as well as the latter coming second.NBC's ''Up All Night'' had an chance to shine because this didn't face any comedy competition the first time, nevertheless it essentially held steady week to week (1.8/5 in 18-49, 4.8 million audiences overall) still, it exercised substantially better inside the 8 o'clock half-hour than last year's ''Undercovers'' did opposite the CMA Honours (1.2/4). Following an ''Up All Night'' repeat at 8:30 (1.2/3 in 18-49, 3.5 million audiences overall), second-year drama ''Harry's Law'' (1.3/3 in 18-49, 7.millions of audiences overall) matched up up a season filled with the demo, likely enjoying useful advantages of the possible lack of ''Modern Family.'' At 10, ''Law and Order: SVU'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 6.6 000 0000 audiences overall) ongoing to stay in third place, lower a tick week to week to possibly its least expensive firstrun score so far.At CW, ''America's Next Top Model'' (.7/2 in 18-49, 1.6 000 0000 audiences overall) was lower just a little week to week.Preliminary 18-49 earnings for your evening: ABC, 4.8/12 Fox, 3.7/10 CBS, 3./8 Univision, 1.7/4 NBC, 1.5/4 CW, .6/2.In general audiences: ABC, 16.3 million CBS, 10.7 million Fox, 10.millions of NBC, 5.9 million Univision, 4. million CW, 1.3 million. Contact Ron Kissell at ron.kissell@variety.com

Pilot Season Hot Trends: Comedies, Books, Formats, Westerns And Enormous Obligations

Economic decline be damned — the broadcast systems are actually trading appreciate it’s 2007 this year. A slew of investing in an offer wars introduced with a staggering 9 pilot orders/production obligations and 33 put pilot obligations up to now this buying season. In addition, NBC is eying straight-to-series orders for two main Bryan Bigger-written dramas: a Munsters reboot and Hannibal, good Hannibal Lecter character. With dire needs, new entrepreneurs ready to invest a lot of money in the turnaround and new management attempting to make their mark, NBC remains most likely probably the most aggressive this buying season. Furthermore for the likely straight-to-series orders, four in the 9 pilot orders/production obligations up to now are actually provided with the peacock network: comedy Isabel, inspired having a French Canadian format, and John Scott Shepherd’s comedy Save Me, which are casting, as well as the J.J. Abrams/Eric Kripke adventure thriller Revolution and crime drama Blue Tilt, put together by Chris Brancato and starring Ethan Hawke and Vince D’Onofrio, which have pilot production obligations. The relaxation from the 4 pilot production orders visited Jon Favreau comedy spec Tweaked together with a multi-camera workplace comedy from Bill Lawrence and Greg Malins at CBS, multi-camera family comedy The Manzanis starring Kirstie Alley plus an untitled Serta Fogelman comedy at ABC as well as the Mike Royce-composed cast-contingent comedy pilot Little Brother at Fox. It wasn’t exactly the mass hysteria of summer season 2007 when the systems were stockpiling when faced having a possible authors strike, but the quantity of emergency this season came pretty close. (NBC) got cash, (ABC) got competitive against that cash, which we needed the bait, Fox’s entertainment leader Kevin Reilly mentioned within the HRTS lunch lately. Most of us think i had been carried out a little. Indeed, there has been numerous projects, especially round the comedy side, which in fact had NBC, ABC and Fox investing in an offer strongly against each other. How aggressive was ABC this season, which marked the initial full development cycle for your network’s topper Paul Lee? It compensated out some 10 put pilot obligations, greater than almost every other network. That is despite the fact that a substantial a part of ABC’s development arises from sister studio ABC Art galleries where the huge the majority of sales haven't any penalties attached since the transaction involves moving profit one pocket to another. Fox and CBS aren't far behind with 9 put pilot obligations each, while NBC has 5, through it greater than composed the primary difference with several bigger obligations additionally to some slew of script sales with penalties attached. Part of the cause of the staggering volume of put pilot obligations this season might be the devaluation in the term, which once placed on penalties of $millions of but is becoming useful for penalties less than $500,000 as well as lower. The comfort was fierce competition, especially between NBC and ABC. Both systems bought more projects in comparison as to the they did a year ago. NBC got second wind monthly roughly ago when the network’s brass apparently examined their slate and made a decision it had been missing in a few areas. After I have noted ad nauseam, it's been the summer season of comedy. Extended just before the genre’s red-colored-colored-hot fall with breakout hits New Girl, 2 Broke Ladies and Suburgatory and solid artist Last Guy Standing, the systems went strongly following a genre, which ended up eclipsing drama in sales this year the first time in quite a while. Having a recent account (you will discover a few more comedy projects in play, and so the comedy tally remains growing), there's been about 252 comedy and 250 drama sales this year versus. 233 comedy and 269 drama last season. Seven in the 9 pilot orders/production obligations visited comedy projects. In contrast, all large obligations in pre-WGA strike 2007 received to dramas: straight-to-series orders to Section 8 at ABC, The Philanthropist, Fear Itself and Robinson Crusoe at NBC and incredibly Last Second at CBS and series persistence for Ryan Murphy’s Full B, The Trees andThe FBI at Fox as well as the Kingdom at CBS. Besides the astounding overall volume of comedy buys, also remarkably high this year was the quantity of half-several hours that incorporated talent attached, especially at NBC and ABC. They include NBC comedy projects starring Roseanne Barr, Sean Hayes, Sarah Silverman, Portia p Rossi, Kal Penn, Snoop Dogg, Nick Thune and Omid Djalili. ABC went for comedies toplined by Kirstie Alley, Reba McEntire, Jim Belushi, Judy Greer, Ashley Tisdale, Rob Garlin, Jim Breuer, Romeo Santos, Nia Vardalos, Marlon Wayans, Craig Kilborn and Sharon Horgan. Final 4 may even create their starring automobiles, as will Aasif Mandvi who's headlining a comedy for CBS. Fox has comedies starring Tyler Labine and Hannibal Buress. The recognition is almost non-existent round the drama side save for NBC’s Blue Tilt that was offered with Hawke and D’Onofrio aboard. Talent remains large this season, using the large quantity of comedy projects with stars attached but furthermore inside the rise of talent holding deals, that have almost gone away lately. The second reason is another symbol of the improved competition this season, while using broadcast systems as well as the art galleries building war chests heading to the craziness of pilot casting season. The heavens signed in talent/development deals up to now include Vanessa Williams, Jesse Martin, Leah Remini and Scott Michael Promote at ABC Dane Prepare, Jason Ritter, Sally Pressman and Corey Reynolds at NBC Martin Lawrence at CBS Greg Grunberg at Warner Bros. TV, and Tim Roth and Sarah Chalke at 20th TV. Also hot for just about any second straight season are book adaptations. I’ve counted no less than 4 dozen this year. Probably the most prominent are Stephen Gaghan’s adaptation of Leif G.W. Perssons books about homicide detective Evert Backstrom at Fox, Shane Brennan’s adaptation in the King & Maxwell quantity of books by David Baldacci at CBS, the CW’s series based on Candace Bushnell’s Sex As Well As The City prequel The Barbara Journals, NBCs Easy Rawlins, based on Walter Mosleys best-selling books, NBC’s Valley in the Dolls, composed by Lee Daniels (though that's based much more about the film it produced), Peter Tolan’s single-camera comedy for ABC Angelas Bachelor's, good book Angelinas Bachelor's: A Novel With Food and X-Males: Top Quality co-authors Ashley Burns & Zack Stentz’s adaptation of Lev Grossmans popular fantasy novel The Masters of miracle for Fox. Not just a large year for comic adaptations, with basically a few, introduced by Fox’s collaboration with Marvel round the Punisher, put together by Erection dysfunction Bernero. Another comics getting potential series treatment this season are the Spectre at Fox and Deadman within the CW. Also getting away . of favor as source material are blogs and Twitter feeds, with only one major representative, Silvio Horta’s comedy at Fox good Texts From Last Evening blog. Round the drama side, Westerns are hot this season, as well as the streak started just before the strong premiere of AMC’s Hell On Wheels on Sunday. CBS is restarting The Rifleman with Laeta Kalogridis, Chris Columbus and Carol Mendelsohn, Fox features a Wyatt Earp Western composed by John Hlavin, NBC posseses an untitled Kerry Ehrin project occur the 1880s, while ABC has Ron Moores Hangtown , occur the very first 1900, and David Zabels Gunslinger. The Western buys underline the broadcast systems’ ongoing fascination with period dramas no matter the struggles of sixties records The Playboy Club and Pan Am this fall. Shonda Rhimes alone setup 2 period projects: Gilded Lillys at ABC, a 1895 drama put together by KJ Steinberg and Wildwood, a eighties dramedy put together by Diane Ruggiero, which received a put pilot commitment at Fox. In addition, NBC’s Valley In The Dolls is occur sixties as they are CBS’ Take advantage of Lamb, from Goodfellas author Nicholas Pileggi. ABC bought 2 projects about seventies families who've their unique variety shows: an untitled comedy from author Joe Keenan as well as the Lockharts, a musical hour drama from authors Michael Gans & Richard Register. The systems’ fascination with series/movie reboots also wasn't wet with the quick demise of ABC’s Charlie’s Angels. (though a lot of the new projects were setup just before the series opened up). Series revamps include Bewitched as well as the Rifleman at CBS, Wiseguy as well as the Munsters at NBC (the second reason is technically a redevelopment from last season) and wonder As Well As The Animal within the CW. Movies getting series adaptations are the 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy Romancing the Stone at NBC, with Mark Friedman and Shawn Levy potentially pointing, a comedy series good 2010 British comedy feature The Infidel, while using film’s star Omid Djalili reprising his role, half-hour series version of Zombieland at Fox, with original authors Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick aboard, together with a drama at ABC good Lincoln subsequently subsequently Lawyer. Format adaptations also were very popular this year, while using geographic region in the source material ongoing to develop. You will discover 3 projects based on Israeli formats — CBS’ comedy Existence Isn't Everything, NBCs drama Support beams Of Smoke as well as the CW drama Danny Hollywood. That's on componen considering the variety of formats within the typically most broadly used destination, Uk: Suburban Shootout and White-colored Guy Van at ABC and Friday Evening Dinner at NBC, that's shepherded by Greg Daniels. ABC has 2 high-profile remakes of Mexican telenovelas: Devious Service personnel, that's put together by Desperate Regular folks creator Marc Cherry, plus an adaptation of hit Soy Tu Duea, composed by Jorge Zamacona. Pals co-creator Marta Kauffman is behind 2 format adaptations at ABC, Red-colored-colored Band Society, which she's writing good The the spanish language language format Polseres Vermelles, and musical drama The Avalon, good Pan Asian format Your Home Musical, which Kauffman will write with Jessica Queller. In addition, ABC has devote development Anti-Mafia Squad, a drama good 2009 Italian series Squadra Antimafia Palermo Oggi. You will discover 2 French Canadian comedy formats that made their approach to the U.S. broadcast systems: Le Monde P Charlotte now now, which offered as inspiration for your NBC pilot Isabel, and Ces Invincibles at Fox. The effective launch of fairytale-designed new series Not Such A Long Time Ago on ABC and Grimm on NBC came too far gone to assist the broadcast systems’ buying designs though ABC may have recognized that they're onto something without Such A Long Time Ago since it bought 2 drama projects with magical/fairytale elements while watching show’s debut: the Jonathan E. Steinberg-composed Beauty as well as the Animal, known to becoming an epic fantasy re-imagining in the classic Beauty as well as the Animal tale, together with a project from author Michael Eco-friendly and 20th TV, which concentrates on a girl cop who discovers an awesome world that's available within NY City. The 2nd received a put pilot commitment within the network. While the quantity of large obligations this season is certainly staggering, industry veterans understand that they don’t mean much. In case your network doesn’t like the finished script, generally it won’t obtain the project to pilot regardless of commitment. And frequently it won’t give the steep penalty stipulated inside the commitment either, inducing the typical equine purchasing and selling between systems and art galleries and moving of obligations to next season. This can be a word of caution about how precisely irrelevant large obligations are: In the 4 projects with series commitment in 2007, none handled to get at pilot. In the five with series orders, one, Section 8, was scrapped (it recently resurfaced on Syfy as Alphas) as well as the others didn’t last beyond that initial order. Approaching inside a couple of days: A peek how showrunners and producers did this development season.

Julie Taymor Sues 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' for Infringing Her Creative Input

Taylor Hill/Getty ImagesJulie Taymor Julie Taymor has filed a blockbuster lawsuit in NY that claims that Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, the most expensive production in Broadway history, has violated her rights by continuing to use her work without compensation.our editor recommends'Spider-Man' Musical's Ex-Director Julie Taymor Speaks Out'Spider-Man' Owes Julie Taymor $300,000, Union SaysBroadway's 'Spider-Man' Rep Denies Report of Stalemate with Departing Director Julie Taymor'Spider-Man' Director Julie Taymor Out; New Creative Team Hired Taymor, an Academy Award-nominated director, was let go from the musical earlier this year, before it officially opened, due to artistic differences. The show suffered from poor early reviews and high-profile injuries to cast, but it has been a success at the box office, showing to near-capacity crowds since it first premiered in November 2010. After Taymor was let go, she filed an arbitration claim against producers, saying she was owed more than $500,000 in royalties. An arbitration hearing was held earlier this month, and the outcome isn't known. But Taymor is taking a new tack in an effort to claim profits from the show, alleging in her complaint that producers have continued to make use of her creative contributions. Producer Michael Cohl's 8 Legged Productions is the defendant. "Ms. Taymor regrets that the producers' actions have left her no choice but to resort to legal recourse to protect her rights," says her attorney, Charles Spada atLankler Siffert & Wohl. Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is a rock musical that credits its music and lyrics to U2's Bono and The Edge and its book to Taymor, Glen Berger and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. It not only set the record for Broadway's most expensive production ever at more than a reported $75 million, but also the longest preview period (182 performances before it officially opened). Producers needed the long gestation period to figure out the story as well as complicated flying stunts that left several cast members injured. In March 2011, Taymor left the production. Taymor's legal move isn't unprecedented. In the mid-1990s, director Joe Mantello managed to get the U.S. Copyright Office to accept his application of an annotated script of "Love! Valour! Compassion!" a Terrence McNally play. When a Florida-based regional production company attempted to put on a production without acknowledging and paying Mantello, he successfully sued. Other directors haven't found as much luck. For instance, in 2004, producers of an off-Broadway production of "Tam Lin" were sued by a fired director, Edward Einhorn, who argued that his work in developing the play entitled him to part of the copyright. A judge released a preliminary ruling that raised doubts about this claim, saying he saw no evidence of a copyrightable annotated script at the time of Einhorn's firing. Before a judge made a definitive judgement, the two sides settled for $800. The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers have long supported the contention that directors and possibly choreographers deserve a piece of copyright and the ability to participate in the income generated by productions. The issue hasn't been settled, but the forthcoming Taymor case could be an opportunity for the theatrical community to discuss authorship for copyright purposes. E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner Julie Taymor Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Veterans back in action

Alexander PayneBruce RobinsonLynne Ramsay Clint Eastwood births one film per year. Woody Allen continues to pop them out like the Duggar family. And after a three-year break, Steven Spielberg will deliver not one, but two directing vehicles in late December.Though some awards-season regulars are maintaining a prolific pace, other decorated helmers -- Terrence Malick ("The Tree of Life"), Alexander Payne ("The Descendants"), Lynne Ramsay ("We Need to Talk About Kevin"), Bennett Miller ("Moneyball") and Bruce Robinson ("The Rum Diary") among them -- stand out for the well-spaced entries in their filmographies. Whether or not absence makes the heart grow fonder depends on the talent.When Malick returned to action 20 years after "Days of Heaven" (1978) with "The Thin Red Line," his reputation had gone beyond cult to legend, doubtlessly due in no small measure to a reclusiveness that would make J.D. Salinger proud. The result was an Academy that welcomed Malick into the fold, rewarding the enigmatic artist with his first two Oscar nominations, for writing and directing.Though the six-year gap between Malick's "The Tree of Life," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and his previous directing effort, "The New World," marks a comparatively rapid follow-up, rumors have been swirling about an origins-of-the-universe project connected to Malick dating back to the '80s.For Payne, Ramsay and Miller, the gap had much to do with aborted projects. Nine years elapsed between Ramsay's previous directing effort, "Morvern Caller," and "Kevin," with several of those years spent developing Alice Sebold's novel "The Lovely Bones." The Scottish writer-director, who originally held the option on Sebold's dark drama narrated by a murdered girl, began penning the script before the author's manuscript was finished."I was on my own path with the script when the book became an international best-seller," recalls Ramsay. "I then felt under pressure to write a very literal translation, and I didn't think it would work as a film, so I left the project."Peter Jackson famously took on "Lovely Bones," which became an expensive CG-heavy adaptation, while Ramsay segued to "Kevin," a project that took four years and was nearly derailed when the film's budget was slashed from $12 million to $6.5 million due to the global recession."It was very complicated to make on less money as it spanned over 17 years with four versions of Kevin from a baby to a teenager," notes Ramsay of the film, which centers on the mother of a teenage boy who embarks on a high-school killing spree. "I had to cut it to the bone and be inventive and economical to make it work. The film was prepped within an inch of its life as we had only 30 days to shoot with costume changes and limited hours with children." Variety called the film "exquisitely realized" at Cannes.Similarly, Miller got caught up on a project that was eventually shelved. After his successful collaboration with Philip Seymour Hoffman on "Capote" in 2005 the two began developing "Foxcatcher," a film about troubled scion John du Pont."I could not imagine that it wasn't going to happen," says Miller, who spent several years on the pic before conceding defeat. "It was really a struggle to find something worthy but that could also get off the ground."The subsequent project, "Moneyball," touts the highest score on Metacritic.com, 87, of all current releases.Payne spent much of the six years since the release of "Sideways" -- which received five Oscar nominations including a screenwriting statuette for Payne -- working with his Ad Hominem partners Jim Taylor and Jim Burke on the epic "Downsizing," which revolves around a down-on-his-luck man who decides he can have a better life if he undergoes a process to shrink himself."Given that the production of 'Downsizing' is such a beast, I coaxed (Payne) into doing 'Descendants,' " says the film's producer Burke, who optioned the manuscript for "Descendants" five years ago. "I probably asked him 40 times. But he needed to find his own personal connection to the material."Once Payne did, the film was cast and began shooting within months. At Telluride, where it premiered in September, the film's right-to-die subject matter was described by Variety as handled "with such sensitivity that it's hardly noticeable you're being enlightened while entertained."Though "Tree of Life" reached the bigscreen faster than a typical Malick outing, the director has been collecting images for the film for more than a decade. The one-time MIT professor consulted with world-renowned academics to grasp the science behind the formation of the universe, which the film depicts."All along, Malick was hunting for the Tao, that completely unanticipated phenomena, those magical unexpected moments that no one could possibly design," says special effects maven Douglas Trumbull ("2001: A Space Odyssey"), with whom Malick consulted.Meanwhile, Robinson's 20-year hiatus is due to the fact that he retired from directing. Robinson was coaxed by Johnny Depp -- a huge fan of Robinson's sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll saga "Withnail and I" and his wildly satiric "How to Get Ahead in Advertising" -- to return to write and helm "Rum Diary," based on Hunter S. Thompson's novel."These two films destroyed me," Depp told the L.A. Times recently, adding he felt Robinson's penchant for "huge humor and absurdity" was the perfect match for a work that foreshadows Thompson's ground-breaking gonzo style.Whatever the reason for a film's lengthy gestation, as Orson Welles once suggested while shilling for Paul Masson, "no wine before its time." And this is how Miller views "Foxcatcher," which he hopes to resurrect: "I never think of the time spent developing a film as time lost."EYE ON THE OSCARS: BEST PICTURE PREVIEWReading the voters' minds | Rewriting history to suit the demands of drama | Veterans back in action | Beyond the boardsAWARDS SEASON CALENDARNovember | December | January | February Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

How Michael Fassbender Ready for His 'Shame' Sex Moments

"Michael Bay posseses an incredible eye to make use of it and adrenaline-moving movies, so that it made an appearance natural to put him associated with creating this trailer," states 'Need for Speed: The Run' star Christina Hendricks in this new behind-the-moments video. "It seems like the next large blockbuster movie in the summer season." On November. 15, 'Need for Speed: The Run' might be the eighteenth entry inside the 'Need for Speed' gaming series, although the only person who may claim some of it have been Bay-ified. Mixing this mixture-country racing part of 'The Cannonball Run' while using 'Fast as well as the Furious' franchise, 'Need for Speed: The Run' features break-neck video-game action and what editor Doug Brandt calls "hyper-realism." Consequently, it's a natural fit for Bay, who's helmed such massive action spectacles as 'The Rock,' 'Bad Boys,' 'Armageddon' as well as the 'Transformers' series. "What's interesting about games is always that they've taken the appear to this kind of amount, they've upped their music, they've upped the acting quotient on these games," states Bay, mentioning to Hendricks ('Drive,' 'Mad Men'). "The lighting is enhancing. I used to be very impressed using this 'Need for Speed' crew. There's a really filmic use their stuff." Don't take Bay's word with this watch the behind-the-moments video below, and search for the whole trailer at America online. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Bones Season 7: Can a Baby Break the Moonlighting Curse?

David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel Ever since the demise of Moonlighting, many television writers have had one great fear: Once their show's two romantic leads sleep together, the show will lose its tension and become lifeless.Fall Preview: Get scoop on your favorite returning showsBut Bones creator Hart Hanson - who faces that challenge as the show's seventh season premieres with Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) pregnant with the child of her former will-they-won't-they partner Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) - has found the opposite to be true."I feel like it re-energized the series," Hanson tells TVGuide.com. "I think it breathes new life into the franchise - into the story engine of Booth and Brennan. The reason we put them together is that it's just been so long. It had to happen. We just could not put it off anymore."The trick, Hanson says, is finding drama to replace the sexual tension. Even though he and executive producer Stephen Nathan had planned for a Booth-Brennan hookup from the beginning of Season 6, it wasn't until Deschanel revealed she was pregnant that the duo landed on their new dynamic.Bones Season 7 scoop: Booth and Brennan's family matters and a new villain, squintern "We knew we did not want them getting together and breaking up. We didn't want misunderstandings," Hanson says. "So, they're contending with a brand new relationship. 'How together are they?' is a question that needs answering. And how are they going to deal with having a child together? As we started banging out this season, it just gave us so many places to go with story."Thursday's premiere finds the couple tired of splitting time between their respective homes and considering a more permanent cohabitation solution. Other bumps in the road could include the couple's differing views on religion, not to mention that Brennan learns the sex of the baby without even including Booth.But Hanson says the drama won't be so trivial all season. "There are deeper places to go," he says. "What happens to the relationship between two people who share a child and love each other deeply? That's our journey this year. Where do they go next? And of course, the biggest question is, do they get married?"Bones scoop: Meet the Jeffersonian's new squintern!Booth's reaction to (or fear of) that question may be somewhat surprising, given his history. "I think it really is a peek into how Booth has progressed," Hanson says. "[He's] the man who keeps asking people to marry him, and they never say 'yes.' He's maybe learned to lay back a little bit."Although Hanson says "motherhood opens up an emotional side that is not easy for [Brennan] to deny," Booth will also find himself in a very reflective state as he prepares to become a father again. "Booth has had a combative and difficult relationship with his father," Hanson says. "His father was abusive, and we have a story coming up with [Booth] and his grandfather, concerning his dad. And it's just... having a kid, changes everything in your life. Everything is from a different perspective."Not surprisingly, family will be a theme throughout the season. The show will explore the ups and downs of new parents Angela (Michaela Conlin) and Hodgins (TJ Thyne), as well as revisit the relationship between Cam (Tamara Taylor) and her teenage daughter. Plus, the Jeffersonian is adding a new squintern (Luke Kleintank) to its "family" after the death of Vincet Nigel-Murray (Ryan Cartwright) last season.Bones scoop: Meet Season 7's new baddie!But the show also remains focused on catching bad guys. This season will introduce a new tech-savvy villain (Andrew Leeds) who will stump both Brennan and Booth. "I think he is a great amalgamation of high-tech and analog," Hanson says. "This serial killer flummoxes them both by swapping back and forth, and they have to combine their talents. It would be too creepy to say that it's like, 'What if Booth and Brennan's baby grew up to be a horrible serial killer?' Butthematically they have to deal with two things this year that are a combination of the two of them. One's the baby, and the other is this big baddie."And will the couple stop to consider that chasing killers might not be in the best long-term interest of Baby Bones? "That's exactly one of the arenas that we have to deal with this year," Hanson says. "Can you still go running around, chasing dangerous people, and doing dangerous things when you have an infant depending upon you for a whole life? That is grist for the mill for the two of them.One of the great things about having this child is that it makes everything very immediate and very gut-oriented. It's gut versus brain. What do we do?"Bones premieres Thursday at 9/8c on Fox.

Crown Media Says Hallmark Movie Channel Contributes To Strong 3Q

The owner of The Hallmark Channel had a happy story of its own to tell in 3Q as ad sales improved, marketing expenses dropped — and it recorded a big gain from a deferred tax asset. With that $191.7M one-time tax jolt,Crown had net income of $203.3M, up from $5.9M this quarter last year, on revenues of $74M, up 18%. The company says that ad revenue was up 15% to $56M as it raised average per-viewer prices, while payments from pay TV distributors were up 29% to $18M. The Hallmark Movie Channel contributed $7.8M in ad sales, up 69.6%. Crown says it also benefited from improved ratings from shows in the Hallmark Channel’s daytime block, which includes The Martha Stewart Show, Martha Bakes, and Mad Hungry With Lucinda Scala Quinn. Crown didn’t spend as much on marketing this past quarter as it did a year ago when it launched The Martha Stewart Show. “We have experienced solid growth for our overall advertising sales revenues and are optimistic that the trend will continue,” says CEO Bill Abbott.