Micrograms Eyes Summits Puzzle Structure

EXCLUSIVE: Summit Entertainment is within talks with Micrograms to direct Puzzle Structure, the cop drama script by David Guggenheim. Summit acquired the project in a pitch early this past year from Guggenheim following the scribe offered the spec script Safe House to Universal, which set Daniel Espinoza to direct Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. Puzzle Structure has been created by Temple Hill partners Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen, who produce the Twilight series for Summit. Micrograms most lately directed the twentieth Century Fox comedy What This Means Is War with Chris Pine, Tom Sturdy and Reese Witherspoon. Micrograms is repped by WME and Management 360.

Is a Mob Story the Right Good Will Hunting Follow-Up For Ben Affleck and Matt Damon?

Yesterday it was announced that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will tackle their first major feature project together since Good Will Hunting — a biopic about Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger that will star Damon and be directed by Affleck. It’s worth wondering though — is a mob film the right follow-up to the esteemed break-out project that earned both actors/screenwriters Academy Awards and established them as marketable Holllywood stars? In 1997, childhood friends Affleck and Damon rose to fame with the release of the drama they co-wrote and starred in. The Gus Van Sant-directed Good Will Hunting — about a wayward blue collar math genius forced to evaluate himself and his relationships — launched both actors/screenwriters into the A-list stratosphere where they immediately separated professionally to prove that they were talented individual entities. Damon found success onscreen with The Rainmaker, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean’s Eleven and the Bourne franchise. Affleck meanwhile transitioned a lucrative acting career (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Sum of All Fears) into a successful directing stretch (Gone Baby Gone and The Town). Although the pair reunited to act in the odd ensemble project (Dogma), produce (Matchstick Men, American Pie 2 and others under their LivePlanet shingle) and to participate in the occasional late night gag, the pair have not reunited for a real picture partnership since Good Will Hunting. The Bulger biopic is definitely a safe project considering that like Affleck’s first two directorial endeavors, the Warner Bros. film will be a gritty crime drama set in Boston. It is also unsafe in that Damon will have to convince audiences that he is not just a wholesome amnesiac assassin but James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss who spent over a dozen years on the FBI Most Wanted List and was wanted for 19 murders before his arrest last year at the age of 82. Damon has played deceitful characters (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ocean’s Eleven) and based-on-real-life characters (Invictus and The Informant) before but it may be hard pursuading viewers that Damon is a cold-blooded criminal mastermind. Oh, and then there is that weird Departed coincidence. Damon co-starred in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime thriller which featured Jack Nicholson as a coke-loving crime boss largely based on Bulger. Not only will Damon have two Bulger-related titles on his resume, but he is also setting himself up for inevitable comparisons to Nicholson’s gravelly portrayal of the criminal. Deadline reports that unlike The Departed, the Affleck-Damon film will chronicle Bulger’s youth, the time he spent behind bars in Alcatraz and his life as a crime boss. This time, Affleck and Damon are leaving the screenwriting duties to Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. If it works, it could push Affleck and Damon one step closer to becoming one of our great filmmaking twosomes — like Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman. And if not, it could have us wishing that the Boston-bred pair had opted for Good Will Hunting 2. Enjoy this classic scene from their 1997 breakout before weighing in below. Follow Julie Miller on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter. · Affleck, Damon reteam on Bulger bio [Variety]

'Lovely Molly' to Content

Content has snapped up Eduardo Sanchez's haunted-house thriller "Lovely Molly," which premiered in Toronto's Midnight Madness section last month. Content announced the deal Monday. Sanchez, who directed "The Blair Witch Project," helmed "Molly" from his own script. Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis and Alexandra Holden star, with Lodge making her bigscreen debut. A release date has not been set. Story centers on a newlywed who returns to her long-abandoned family home where frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins descending into an evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. "Molly" is produced by "Blair Witch" producers Robin Cowie and Gregg Hale of Haxan, Jane Fleming ("The Frozen Ground") and Mark Ordesky (exec producer of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) of Amber Entertainment. The transmedia team that worked on "The Blair Witch Project" has also worked on "Lovely Molly," with multilayered viral marketing including Internet videos, web sites, mockumentaries and paid ads. The 1999 "Blair Witch" was a surprise hit with over $140 million in domestic grosses. The "Molly" deal was negotiated by Graham Taylor of WME & Stuart Rosenthal of BHDRL on behalf of the production and Jamie Carmichael on the Content side. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

ShowEast Hall of Fame 2011

Released: Mon., March. 24, 2011, 4:00am PTBy VianeCarrollZeltnerSeddonCiaramelloAt the Wednesday ceremony in Miami/Hollywood, Fla., honorees includes Wally Disney Co.'s Chuck Viane, Warner Bros.' Frank Carroll, Clearview Cinemas' Craig Zeltner, CMCI Booking's Danny Seddon and Coca-Cola Co.'s Kathleen Ciaramello. Marty Zeidman and Steve Friedstrom will probably be honored posthumously. Chuck Viane, who outdated within this summer time after two-and-a-half decades within the Wally Disney Co., was most recently prexy of worldwide distribution for Wally Disney Art galleries Movies. Frank Carroll, Warner Bros. Pictures' senior V . p . for domestic distribution's eastern division, remains with Warners since 1973 and contains done disseminating the "Harry Potter," and "Hangover" franchises. Craig Zeltner, who's within the 14th year as Clearview Cinemas' V . p . of film, has spent 46 years inside the entertainment industry, following inside the actions of his father who was simply with MGM for 42 years. Danny Seddon, prexy of CMCI Booking (the film-buying division of Belmont Capital, remains using the organization for thirty years. Kathleen Ciaramello was responsible for Coca-Cola's partners while using entertainment industry as V . p . of a good partnership marketing. Now she's V . p . in the company's east region.SHOWEAST 2011 Five 3d myths that will not dieHonoreesShow "E" Award: Jim Amos Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award: John C. Hall Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award: Kurt Hall ShowEast Hall of Fame 2011 Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Upgrades give a new luxe on existence

Before its official opening, Lulu was the web site of non-public occasions, like the 2011 Palm Springs short fest closing evening fete in JuneThe desert social calendar is jammed for your season: very good news for La event coordinators that are frequently referred to as onto produce occasions within the customers hands Springs area. Growing planners' attraction to Palm Springs is the fact greater than $180 million in hotel refurbishments and upgrades within the last three years has brought to finer facilities for your desert enclave.The summer season starts while using Palm Springs Film Festival (Jan. 5-16), that's adopted shortly with the Humana Challenge Golf Tournament (Jan 19-22 at PGA West). Formerly the Bob Hope Classic, the extended-running professional-am tourney is becoming became a member of with former Leader Clinton's foundation. March makes two major tennis occasions: the BNP Paribas Open March 5-15 (in Indian Wells) as well as the K-Swiss Desert Smash March 6-7 within the La Quinta Resort. The LPGA championship tourney then hits Rancho Mirage March 26-April 1.Also round the calendar: typically the most popular Modernism Week (Feb. 16 -26), a celebration of 25,000 mid-century modern art, architecture and design fans. The cooler weather season culminates while using Coachella Music Festival, trying out two weekends in 2012, April 13-15 and April 20-22 even though the music activity fest is at Indio, the entire valley fills tabs on revelers and ancillary occasions.Possibly the highest space to start for the public in 2012 will be the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, devoted to confabs fostering worldwide cooperation. Sunnylands' heart can be a 25,000-square-ft A. Quincy Manley-designed manse possessed with the late media magnate and U.S. ambassador Walter Annenberg and also the wife, Leonore, and visited by seven U.S. presidents together with other world leaders. Despite the fact that retreat is not a public event space, groups are welcomed for the adjacent center the Palm Springs fest situated filmmakers for just about any retreat within the center taken and may return in 2012.Improving Palm Springs' social cachet is its growing recognition as SoCal's wedding destination associated with preference. Because you will discover lots of grand private estates within gated cities, complete privacy can be achieved. In addition, choose hideaway boutique hotels, such as the Willows, the Parker, Movie Colony Hotel and Viceroy Palm Springs, lend themselves to wedding buyouts.Each season brings additions: Carrying out a $2 million restoration, LuLu California Bistro opened up up for the public in August, trying out a great downtown location which were vacant for any very long time.Just before its official opening, LuLu was the web site of non-public occasions, like the Palm Springs short fest closing evening fete in June. It's a multilevel space, with two mezzanine rooms together with a banquet room that seats 150. JDV Hospitality is aboard to handle first kind 249-room Holiday Motel on Palm Canyon Drive that was bought with the Sydell Group in September, designers in the Ace Hotels in NY and Palm Springs. The region will undergo a whole stylish update and re-open in spring.EVENT PLANNER'S GUIDE Social engineering Upgrades give a new luxe on existence Space craft Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

IFC Midnight nabs thriller 'ATM'

Eve Peck Geraghty IFC Midnight has acquired all U.S. rights to David Brooks' thriller "ATM," which stars Brian Geraghty ("The Hurt Locker"), Josh Peck ("The Wackness"), Alice Eve ("Entourage"). Trio play co-workers who make a latenight visit to an ATM and find themselves fighting for their lives when they become trapped by an unknown man. Script was penned by Chris Sparling, whose previous credits include the Ryan Reynolds starrer "Buried." Gold Circle Films prexy Paul Brooks and Peter Safran produced the pic, while Scott Niemeyer and Dan Clifton served as exec producers. Paul Brooks negotiated the deal with Arianna Bocco of Sundance Selects/IFC Films. IFC Midnight recently released "The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)" and will soon distribute festival pics "The Catechism Cataclysm" and "Kill List." Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

Shannen Doherty Marries for the Third Time

Shannen Doherty and Kurt Iswarienko Shannen Doherty has gotten married for the third time, exchanging "I dos" in Malibu, Calif., with celebrity-portrait photographer Kurt Iswarienko, People reports. Saturday's ceremony was a black-tie affair and took place at a private estate in front of 170 guests. The nuptials reportedly will air on the season finale of Doherty's upcoming WEtv reality series with her husband about planning for the wedding. The show is set to premiere in 2012. Shannen Doherty to star in new reality series Doherty and Iswarienko have been dating since 2009. The 40-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed actress was married to Ashley Hamilton for seven months in 1994 and Rick Saloman for nine months in 2002.

REVIEW: Almodvar's The Skin I Live In a Twisty, Sci-Fi Psychosexual Melodrama

The idea of building a person to spec — especially when that person is some form of ideal woman — is one that’s haunted the movies in variations from My Fair Lady to Vertigo to Bride of Frankenstein to Weird Science. It’s an echo of the constructing of a character that results in what you see on screen — a figure who’s the joint creation of an actor, director, writer, makeup artist, dialect coach, costume designer, ad infinitum. But it’s also a concept that provides a counter to the typical romance saga in which two people who are perfect for one other come together. Why search for your match when you can make one? It’s fair to say that the human experiment at the heart of The Skin I Live In, Pedro Almodvar’s latest, is motivated by loneliness, if also revenge and mourning. And, naturally, craziness — lots of craziness. One character, after dumping a load of soap-opera-on-acid exposition in the form of a monologue, notes that the film’s protagonist was “born insane.” “I’ve got insanity in my entrails,” she adds for good measure. Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas, reuniting with Almodvar for their first film together in over two decades) may be more than a little off, but he’s also a brilliant plastic surgeon who’s been working on a synthetic skin that’ll resist many of the normal weaknesses — say, fire — inherent to the more fragile organ with which we’re born. Like any mad scientist worth his salt, his work pushes the boundaries of what his colleagues consider ethical and acceptable, especially his use of transgenesis. Lord knows what they’d say if they saw what he’s been up to in his spare time. The object of Ledgard’s fixation and his own personal guinea pig is Vera (a memorable Elena Anaya), a beautiful, lithe woman we first see contorting herself in a yoga stretch in a flesh-colored body stocking and looking like a doll being bent into an impossible angle. It’s not an accidental resemblance — constructed figures litter the background of The Skin I Live In, from the nudes on the walls of Ledgard’s house to the mannequins in the window of clothing store in town. And Vera is one of them, though her consent in the matter is obviously questionable — she’s kept in a locked room with a surveillance camera through which Ledgard likes to observe her, though she’s also delivered meals, an Alice Munro book and material for her art projects via a dumbwaiter. She doesn’t seem completely stable either, with her closet of shredded clothes and bout of self-harm. She could be patient or victim. I’m reluctant to give away any more details of this story, which contains some wild twists involving how Vera ended up where she did and Ledgard’s tragedy-filled backstory. What’s distinctive about The Skin I Live In, beyond even these nutso developments, is how reserved it is in terms of filmmaking choices. Aside from his usual bold color schemes, Almodvar has managed a remarkably restrained telling of what’s in essence a sci-fi psychosexual melodrama set in the very near future of 2012 Toledo. He’s much quoted as describing the film as “a horror story without screams or frights,” and he receives assistance in that regard with straight, unwinking performances from Banderas, Anaya and Marisa Paredes as the housekeeper Marilia. While it’s never short on tension, with the addition of disturbing details like the delivery of a container of animal blood to a kitchen table, or the reveal that “Gal,” the name Ledgard has given his synthetic skin, is also the name of his late wife, the film approaches its tale as a psychological mystery, unraveling the question of how these people came to be in their strange situation, and prodding at the malleability of the human exterior and interior. The Skin I Live In approaches its present from two angles — its first half essentially offering Ledgard’s view, the second Vera’s, circling around a disruption to the pair’s routine caused by a wild animal, or rather a man (Roberto lamo) in a tiger costume that changes the status quo in the isolated household. It’s a deliberately silly prod fitting for such a determinedly oddball narrative, and it speaks to the consistency of the film’s tone that what takes place when the tiger comes into the house doesn’t seem any more unexpected than what happened before he got there. Ledgard’s controlling devotion has created a shared psychosis into which everyone around him seems to have been pulled — “You and I aren’t like anyone,” he says to Vera when expresses a wish for the pair of them to live a more normal life. How true that is in the underlying question of the film — Ledgard has capability to shape someone’s outside, but the mind and soul are something else that no surgeon’s knife can reach.

5 Successful '80s Remakes -- and Why They Worked

This Friday, a duo of ’80s remakes, The Thing and Footloose, hit the multiplex. And that’s just the beginning — because Hollywood is currently in various stages of redrafting your favorite films from that decade including Red Dawn, War Games and Dirty Dancing. In honor of this trend, let’s take a look at the most successful ’80s remakes so far and see what made them work. Just click here to launch the slideshow.

Exclusive: Ringer to Have a Buffy Reunion!

Buffy Maybe this will help the weak ratings: Sarah Michelle Gellar will reunite with one of her Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-stars on Ringer.Amber Benson will guest-star in Episode 10 of the freshman series, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. Benson, who portrayed Willow's girlfriend Tara Maclay on Buffy, will play Mary Curtis, a stripper who is also an informant for Agent Machado (Nestor Carbonell).Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Then and nowLast seen taking a bullet aimed for Buffy in Season 6, Benson has gone on to appear in several TV series, including Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Supernatural.Ringer airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on the CW.

New Academy Museum Could Feature Oscar on its Historic Facade

Double the amount size and half the fundraiser burden.our editor recommendsMotion Picture Academy Takes Key to Create Museum in Former May Co. Department StoreInside the Oscar Museum's Past Troubles and Uncertain Future Individuals would be the rough metrics from the Academy of movement Picture Arts and Sciences' intend to open a museum within the former May Co. building around the La County Museum of Art campus -- rather than in a Hollywood property which the business decided to construct a $400 million project. The museum could open within 3 years -- also it could even have an picture of Oscar etched around the building's distinctive gold cylinder. It might be operated by AMPAS within lengthy-term lease agreement with LACMA, based on Academy leader Tom Sherak, who spoke using the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. "The truth that we do not have this in L.A. -- the house of the film -- we have to change that," he stated. STORY:Within the Oscar Museum's Past Troubles and Uncertain Future The Academy's board of governors on Tuesday evening became a member of their LACMA alternatives by saying yes to sign a memorandum of understanding to operate in good belief to determine a film museum within the 300,000-square-feet former mall building, that is situated at 6067 Wilshire Blvd. around the western fringe of the LACMA campus within the Miracle Mile district. The memo paves the way for that two organizations to go over the next contract but for the Academy, which creates the huge most of its revenue in the purchase of broadcast privileges towards the Academy awards show,to build up fundraiser plans. But several questions remain: Sherak didn't offer specifics around the terms or entire lease the Academy would sign with LACMA, except to express, "I will not be around when this lease is completed.Inch Despite the fact that he didn't divulge the believed price of the project -- that could take as lengthy as 5 years to accomplish -- Sherak stated AMPAS "will just raise 1 / 2 of what we should required to raise" for that now-scuttled Hollywood museum development on Vine Street. "We're beginning the fundraiser campaign now which determines how quickly this building rises," stated Academy Boss Beginning Hudson. AMPAS would retain autonomy total facets of the museum, while depending on LACMA's knowledge of museum management and construction, Hudson stated. The first kind mall, built-in the Streamline Moderne style, opened up in 1939 LACMA acquired it in 1994 and re-named it LACMA West. The May Co. structure is renowned for the gold cylinder that comprises some of their facade, that has been designated historic through the city's Cultural Heritage Commission. LACMA Boss Michael Govan stated that there has been discussions regarding the potential of integrating the legendary Oscar statuette in to the round area of the building's facade. "It had been just screaming to become an Oscar," stated Govan, adding that you will find methods to alter that area of the building "that might be in line with its historic designation." Based on the La Conservancy, the town's Office of Historic Assets would review any suggested changes towards the cylinder. STORY: Film Academy Takes Key to Create Museum in Former May Co. Mall Despite its new direction, the Academy still intends to open exhibition space in the Vine Street property it once imagined as the house of a film museum, though its lengthy-term plans for that property are unclear. "The main one factor we will not do -- the Academy won't do and also the board won't allow it to be achieved -- we will not abandon that website,Inch Sherak stated. However the new LACMA plan marks a significant change in AMPAS' previous movie museum efforts and it is a blow to Hollywood stakeholders who had wished a film museum would assist in the ongoing revitalization from the area. The Academy had lengthy planned to construct a 144,000-square-feet development on Hollywood property it started obtaining in 2005 at the expense as high as $50 million. French architect Christian p Portzamparcdesigned a sleek, modern edifice, but simply before a substantial fundraiser campaign might have begun, the project was derailed through the economic collapse that started in serious in fall 2008. The Three.5-acre site, that is situated across from ArcLight Movie theaters on Vine, has sitting vacant for a number of years in August area stakeholders told THR it had become an eyesore. Sherak stated the Academystill intends to create an exhibit space within the structures to begin and there's been discussion about hosting periodic outside tests. The Academy has started razing some structures and cleaning the home, that is next to its Pickford Center for Film Study. "I'm glad to determine the museum is continue which AMPAS is firmly devoted to trading in and developing its Hollywood property near Sunset [Boulevard] and Vine. The entertainment industry has lengthy been essential to our local economy and performed a substantial role within our global culture," La City Council Leader Eric Garcetti stated. "AMPAS' new assets will celebrate that background and take it to existence for future decades." But Sherak stated he wasn't sure the way the property could be used when the movie museum opens, though he recommended that potential features for example an outside theater could remain being used when the museum opens. "Why would that has to disappear to ensure that it stays? It does not need to go away. So there's lots of planning that should be done," he stated. STORY: Beginning Hudson: Job as Academy Boss Offers 'Global Platform' on her Passion for Film Sherak stated that discussions with LACMA started informally in spring 2010, and were initially headed by former Academy leader Sid Ganis, who met with Govan and talked about the requirement for an AMPAS museum. "We spoken about how exactly sad it had been this had not quite drawn itself together yet," Govan stated. Talks grew to become more severe once Hudson was named the brand new Boss from the Academy in April. Sherak stated that in a June 1 AMPAS board of governors meeting, Hudson, former mind of Film Independent, homed in around the potential project. "Out of the blue it had been as an arrow towards the bull's-eye. Next factor I understand, Michael and she or he were speaking and that we were built with a committee come up with,Inch Sherak stated. The LACMA campus continues to be substantially changed throughout the final half-decade with the help of two new structures. In 2008, the museum opened up the Broad Contemporary Art Museum and this past year the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion put open its doorways. Included in a 3-phase plan, the May Co. building ended up being to are also renovated. However, Govan stated that Metropolitan Transportation Authority's intend to build the Westside Subway Extension, which may incorporate a visit a corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, triggered LACMA to re-think its plan. "We paused and stated, 'that is a very important building also it really should have something fantastic inside it,AInch Govan stated. "It must be a destination inside it of itself. This can become again, because it was, probably the most famous structures in La. We're pleased to move our plans around with other spaces." The mark museum may be the most powerful signal up to now that LACMA expects to bolster its connections towards the movie business. Captured LACMA introduced it would reboot its film-screening program this fall. It's created a partnership with Film Independent, the audience behind the Spirit Honours and also the La Film Festival, and it has hired film critic Elvis Mitchell as curator. STORY: Academy Taps Beginning Hudson, Ric Robertson to exchange Bruce Davis "LACMA is definitely an eclectic museum with a lot of collections in several different areas -- film appears just like a slam dunk," stated Terry Semel, co-chair from the LACMA board of trustees and former chairman of Warner Bros. The museum's board now includes a slew of entertainment business gamers, including Willow Bay, John Grazer, Michael Lynton, Carole Bayer Sager, Barbra Streisand and Steve Tisch. As well as on Monday it had been introduced that CAA partner Bryan Lourd is joining the 64-member board. Also, in September, LACMA introduced that it is inaugural Art + Film Gala -- slated to become held November. 5 -- will recognition Clint Eastwood and conceptual artist John Baldessari. The gala is supposed simply to boost funds to aid LACMA's "initiative to create film more central towards the museum's curatorial programming," the museum stated inside a pr release. Email: Daniel.Burns@THR.com Twitter: @DanielNMiller Related Subjects AMPAS LACMA