'Mission: Impossible' on track to win holiday B.O.

'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol' should gross north of $9 million Friday for a weekend gross of around $35.5 million between now and Monday.Warner Bros.' 'Sherlock Holmes' sequel is currently in the No. 2 spot, with an estimated Friday gross of $7 million."Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" is looking to beat the holiday crowd this weekend for the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office.Based on early Friday afternoon numbers, box office watchers estimate the Par pic to earn just north of $9 million for the day, putting the Tom Cruise-starrer in line to gross at around $35.5 million between now and Monday. Pic's domestic cume as of Thursday is $32.4 million, including the film's exclusive large-format bow last weekend.Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" should follow in B.O. standing, with early projections putting the film's Friday-Monday total between $28 million to $30 million. Analysts say that's based off of a Friday gross estimated at around $7 million."Sherlock" has cumed domestically $58.8 million through Thursday.Pundits caution, however, that projecting box office grosses is difficult enough without the complications of a holiday weekend, especially one where Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday. Similar comparisons have to go back to 2005, when five films opened wide over the holiday weekend.Fox's family holdover "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" is looking to earn at around $4.6 million Friday, with B.O. observers projecting the film to tally between $19 million and $20 million in four days. "Alvin's" current Stateside cume stands at $36.9 million.Tracking to do slightly less business, Sony's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is expected to earn roughly $18 million over the four-day weekend; pic's projected to make $4 million Friday, with a cume of $8.4 million domestically.Pundits insist that "Tattoo" should fare best on Christmas Eve, as it has the most appeal with adult auds.Meanwhile, Fox newcomer "We Bought a Zoo" is likely to earn today just north of $3 million, yielding a four-day estimate in the $13 million-$14 million range. That would put it just a hair ahead of Par's "The Adventures of Tintin," which looks to make between $3 million and $4 million on Friday. Pic could earn about $13 million to $14 million over the long holiday frame, and has cumed $8 million domestically.Though Christmas Eve is a traditionally dead time at the multiplexes, Sunday by mid-afternoon should see a major pop in theatergoing that will continue throughout next week. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Redstone foundation gives $100K to L.A. org

Sumner Redstone's charitable foundation has led $100,000 with a Place Referred to as Home, a non-profit org that can help underprivileged youth in South-Central L.A. Some in the gift will offer you the Adopt-a-Family Program, which inserts families with contributor that really help provide necessities. The contribution may even enrich the org's activities different from leisure to educational services. "Improving the performance within our youth, both socially and academically, is amongst the important and pressing issues today," Redstone mentioned. The professional has adopted three Place Referred to as Home families around the year-round basis. Redstone's foundation has furthermore supported Global Poverty Project, Cambodian Children's Fund, Autism Talks as well as the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, among other orgs to cause. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Animator Serta Mills dies at 80

Animator and layout artist Serta Mills, whose credits incorporated TV series "He-Guy and also the Masters from the World" and "Family Guy," died 12 ,. 5. He was 80. During the period of work that survived from 1956 until his retirement in 2002, Mills labored for Disney, Snowball, Hanna-Barbera, Filmation, Hyperion, Universal and Fox Animation.Mills would be a layout supervisor for "He-Guy" and "She-Ra: Princess of Energy" in 1985, the 1989 series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and also the 1990 feature toon "Happily Ever After."Like a layout artist he gained credits on films including "The Key from the Sword," "Pinocchio and also the Emperor from the Evening," "Freddie as F.R.O.7.," "Asterix Conquers America," "The Page Master" and "Felines Don't Dance" and television series "Pandamonium" and "Family Men."Animator credits include "Linus! The Lion Hearted" in 1964, the "ABC Afterschool Special" episode "Cyrano" and television series "Fundamental essentials Days," "Partridge Family 2200 AD," "Jabberjaw" and "Godzilla."Mills was story director on three series in 1973, "Goober and also the Ghost Chasers," "Inch High, Detective AgencyInch and "Speed Buggy," art director for that 1965 series "Captain Fathom" along with a model artist on "Body fat Albert and also the Cosby Kids."In the final credit, he would be a storyboard artist for that 2002 made-for-video pic "The Hunchback of Notre Dame II." Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Video grows on gaming consoles

Viewing of streaming media and video-on-demand content continues to spike on gaming consoles, particularly among users of Nintendo's Wii.Nielsen issued the results of a survey Wednesday that found increases in usage of content apps like Netflix across Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Wii. Nielsen surveyed 3,000 console owners age 13 and older in the U.S. in October. The survey highlights the fundamental shift in how vidgame console owners are using the devices, which offered little to no video just a few years ago -- and that shift makes them a more attractive target for Hollywood and other content owners.While Xbox and PlayStation users reported spending 14% and 15%, respectively, of their total time on the console watching streaming video, Wii users spent more than double that time using their consoles for viewing various media. A survey last year showed a similar pattern.As for the amount of time users spent on the core gaming offering,the results were a mixed bag depending on whether gaming took place on- or offline. Xbox was the only console that saw a year-over-year increase in gaming online; PlayStation had the same distinction offline.Gaming consoles are just one of the ways video content is being consumed alternative to incumbent multichannel distributors like cable operators and satcasters, but there's plenty of evidence its headstart into this market ahead of either freestanding devices like Roku or connected TV sets like Sony's Bravia make it the primary over-the-top delivery system.A Nielsen survey in July found the Wii was second only to PCs as an access point for Netflix and Hulu. PS3 and Xbox were fourth and fifth.Netflix is likely the primary video source across all consoles. Nintendo prexy Reggie Fils-Aime said 1.5 million Wii users were using Netflix every day. But the streaming service is the only content app Nintendo has (the company announced last month that Hulu Plus will be added soon).In contrast, Wii's competitors have made some big moves going back to 2010 that don't seem to have closed the gap with Nintendo.In November 2010, Xbox padded its already robust content offering with an interactive version of ESPN3, bringing thousands of hours of collegiate sports to the platform. Xbox added Hulu Plus in the spring. In August, Sony announced PS3 became a entry point for DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket; console already had MLB.TV and NHL Game Center.Despite Sony's and Microsoft's focus on their video offerings, Wii may be capitalizing solely on a bigger installed base. While Xbox has been on a hot streak as of late, outselling the others for the past four months, Nintendo has sold 37.7 million Wii consoles in the U.S. as of November, according to NPD Group, well ahead of Xbox with about 31 million and PS3 with just under 19 million. Wii has also always appealed to a broader demographic than its counterparts, which have been more popular with the core gamer crowd.Xbox and PS3 may have better luck in 2012. Xbox Live recently announced enhancements including Microsoft's Bing search service and upgrade of Kinect, the voice and gesture-control device. Xbox Live is also making a sixfold increase in blue-chip content partners that will include Comcast and Verizon's FioS TV.Last month, Sony announced a revamped Video Unlimited service with as many 80,000 TV and movie titles to rent, depending on the territory.Xbox and PlayStation also offer video via downloads but were basically flat year over year in that delivery mode, both with 5% of viewer usage levels. XBox's storefront for downloading movie and TV content, Zune, isn't as central to the video offerings as it once was. Sony's download hub, PlayStation Network, hasn't been as de-emphasized. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Tatsumi, Habibi Take Dubai Festival Honors

NY - Zynga shares are scheduled to cost following the market close on Thursday and begin buying and selling on Friday.our editor recommendsMichael Kors' Fashion Company Prices IPOZynga to boost as much as $1 Billion in IPO But in front of the social gaming firm's IPO, Wall Street experts have expressed varying sights around the stock's outlook. Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia smacked a "sell" rating on Zynga shares along with a cost target of $7, the NY Publish reported. That's beneath the expected prices selection of $8.50-$10. "Whenever you look underneath the hood, a specific item is growth slowing down considerably, margins pressurized, and free income is diminishing," Bhatia stated. Plus, former flagship game FarmVille has peaked. Meanwhile, BTIG analyst Wealthy Greenfield stated inside a set of Wednesday that traders should take part in the IPO of the organization which makes games for Facebook, for example CityVille and Frontierville. "We percieve social gaming especially Zynga's social games in exactly the same - they're a brand new "cure" for monotony, and in contrast to TV, social games could be performed anywhere in the world you have Access to the internet, while TV requires you to stay in your family room - although YouTube and television Everywhere are altering that," Greenfield authored. "In addition, whereas many people watch television alone or using their family, Zynga connects you to definitely buddies and family." Even when Zynga prices its IPO in the top end of their IPO range at $10, "we feel its shares offer compelling upside over next season,Inch he added. "Having a significant rise in the pace of game launches getting just begun late within the 4th quarter 2011 and likely to continue into 2012, we feel our 2012 reservations forecast of $1.5 billion is quite possible and may be conservative." Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Zynga

Lowe's Issues Problematic Apologies After Pulling Ads From TLC's 'All-American Muslim'

Movie director Daniel Adams faces up to 32 years in prison after he was indicted Monday by a grand jury in Boston on charges brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General related to claims for $4.7 million in state tax rebates on two movies, The Lightkeepers and The Golden Boys (aka Chatham). Adams, 50, was taken into custody on Friday while at the office of Attorney General Martha Coakley where he had been called to provide information on the allegations. He was held on $100,000 bail and as of early Monday was unable to make the bail and was still in custody. On Monday the Suffolk County Grand Jury returned indictments against Adams on the charges of making a false claim against the Commonwealth (2 counts), larceny over $250 (2 counts), procuring the presentation of a false claim to the Department of Revenue (2 counts), filing a false document with the Department of Revenue (1 count) and procuring the preparation of a false tax return (3 counts). PHOTOS: Hollywood's Riches to Rags: 18 Stars Who've Lost it All The first four charges could carry prison sentences of up to five years. The three tax related charges could lead to prison terms of three years for each. Adams would also likely be forced to make restitution of at least $3.6 million of the $4.7 million in tax credits he has already received, which represents the amount the authorities believe was false. If he is found guilty, a judge could decide that Adams can serve some of the sentences concurrently or he could reduce them, so what he might ultimately face is unclear. Among the items they allege was false was a claim that actor Richard Dreyfuss was paid $2.5 million for Lightkeepers, when in fact (per their investigation) he was paid only $400.000. At this time there is no other person or company implicated in this alleged fraud. Adams was writer, producer and director, and created special purpose corporations for each movie. The distributors were just picking up the movies, so are not liable. A number of others who worked on the movie or helped arrange distribution have also gone unpaid, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. They include executive producers and a designer. There are also claims for unpaid bills by vendors in Massachusetts who provided goods and services for the movies which have been filed in courts there. At least some of those who remain unpaid were told by Adams that they would receive money when he got the state tax credit rebate. He got that but did not pay them it appears. It is unknown if he actually sold the tax credits, which he could have done legally. His arrest came after an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police and the Attorney General's Fraud and Financial Crimes Division. They had taken on the case after the state Department of Revenue alleged they had found fraud while reviewing documents that Adams had filed in connection with his request for tax credits. A Grand Jury in Boston had been working on the case when Adams was called in on Friday. Adams had missed two earlier appointments and told the authorities he was about to leave for Los Angeles for his work. At that point Assistant Attorney General Molly Parks, who is handling the case, decided there was a risk Adams would not return for future hearings and had state police assigned to her office arrest him. Adams was arraigned in district court because there was no actual indictment yet. An attorney present in the courtroom for another hearing, Steven Topazio, was drafted to act on Adam's behalf as a public defender. Topazio, who is a Boston criminal defense attorney, says he only handled that hearing and is not representing Adams any longer It is unclear if Adams has legal representation at present, or who that might be. Attempts to reach Adams for comment were not successful. Now that the grand jury has returned indictments, the case moves to Superior Court in Boston. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday on the case where Adams will be given an opportunity to answer the charges if he chooses to do so. Adams in 2010 wrote and was to direct a movie version of the TV series The Big Valley. It was set up at Twentieth Century Fox, but apparently did not go forward. Lisa Trout, head of the Massachusetts state film office, said as far as she knows this is the first such case involving an alleged fraud in the program. She said the program has been successful for the state and is funded to continue through 2022.

Ashton Kutcher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sofia Vegara: 'New Year's Eve' Stars Before They Were Famous (PHOTOS)

In the event you haven't heard (virtually impossible since the marketing is pervasive), there's a movie out now referred to as 'New Year's Eve,' featuring every celebrity ever. (Well, not always -- nevertheless it certainly feels by doing this the celebs not present here apparently registered for 'What you may anticipate When you're Expecting' rather.) Prior to getting to the 2012 spirit, the truly amazing folks at Snakkle have develop an amazing before-they-were famous gallery for your sprawling cast of 'New Year's Eve,' from Halle Berry to Nicole Kidman to to Sofia Vegara, Hilary Swank, Zac Efron, Jessica Biel, Robert P Niro and -- deep inhale -- much more. A few Moviefone faves are below ensure in your thoughts to Snakkle to find out all the stars' before-they-were-famous photos. Sofia Vegara from an early on Pepsi commercial Michelle Pfeiffer just like a secondary school newcomer just like a secondary school junior [Tickets and Showtimes for 'New Year's Eve'] [via Snakkle] [Photos: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Andrew Schwartz/Warner Bros.] Lots Of Stars: Hits and Misses Simply how much is just too much if the involves jamming large names into one movie? It appears to become delicate formula that could use either situation... Miss: 'New Year's Eve'Hit: 'Love, Really'Miss: 'He's Not That Into You'Hit: 'Crash'Miss: 'Nine'Hit: 'Ocean's Eleven'Miss: 'Ocean's Twelve'Hit: 'Contagion'Miss: 'Valentine's Day' See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

With Every Heartbeat (Kyss mig)

A Wolfe Releasing (in U.S.)/Nordisk Film (in Sweden) release of a LeBox Prod. production in association with Film i Skane/Ystad-Osterlin Film Fund/Lady Bird/SVT/Redrental/Filmgear/Nordisk Film Post Prod./Supersonic. Produced by Josefine Tengblad. Co-producers, Ralf Enarsson, Edith Jageroden, Lars Hermann, Bjorn Johansson, Gunnar Carlsson. Directed, written by Alexandra-Therese Keining. Based on an idea by Josefine Tengblad, Keining.With: Ruth Vega Fernandez, Liv Mjones, Lena Endre, Krister Henriksson, Joakim Natterqvist.Writer-director Alexandra-Therese Keining's "With Every Heartbeat," consistently remains several steps behind the audience as it plays out the formulaic pattern of two unlikely women who fall for each other. Riddled with such phony character motivation and action that the characters themselves repeatedly call each into question, the Swedish production will lure support from undiscriminating auds looking for strong female sexuality onscreen. At an engagement party for sixtysomething dad Lasse (vet Krister Henriksson), Mia (Ruth Vega Fernandez) accompanies fiance Tim (Joakim Natterqvist) and seems reasonably in love. But Frida (Liv Mjones), the daughter of Lasse's soon-to-be wife (Lena Endre, reduced to fourth-banana status), inexplicably makes eyes at Mia, who just as inexplicably returns the interest, setting off erotic fireworks that will likely fill a page of Playboy's upcoming "Sex in the Cinema" annual spread. As each party absorbs the reality that Mia is turning from Tim to Frida, the film treats the drama with purely mechanical plotting rather than genuine emotional perception.Camera (color, widescreen), Ragna Jorming; editors, Lars Gustafson, Malin Lindstrom; music, Marc Collin; production designer, Elli Furudahl; costume designer, Sanna Forsberg. Reviewed at Mark Goodson screening room, Los Angeles, Oct. 26, 2011. (In AFI Film Festival -- Breakthrough Cinema.) Running time: 107 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Foreign Box Office: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I' Dips 47 Percent but Still No. 1

It all began with a tweet. On Nov. 3, the official Grammy Awards Twitter, whose handle is @TheGRAMMYs, sent a message to its 208,000 followers which read:our editor recommendsFoo Fighters' Six Grammy Nominations Put Analog Recording Back on the MapKanye West Blames Himself for Grammy SnubTV Ratings: Grammy Nominations Concert Grows from 2010, Fox's 'Teenage Daughter' Off to Fair StartGrammy Attacker and Hip-Hop Ad Man Steve Stoute on the 'Tanning of America' (Q&A)Arcade Fire Manager Responds To Steve Stoute, Explains Grammy Appearance Who do u predict the reuniting band will be @ #GRAMMYnoms? http://grm.my/vH7p3Y Does this hint make u wanna "Jump" & "Dance the Night Away"? The 140-character missive came hours after a press release was issued by the Recording Academy announcing its annual one-hour nominations special (broadcast on CBS since 2008) and promising "a special live announcement from a truly iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place on the GRAMMY stage on Feb. 12, 2012." In due haste, the media began speculating as to who the surprise act could be and it didn't take long before Van Halen's name came up with one industry website, Htifix.com, going so far as to put it out there. And it made perfect sense: at that moment -- and ever since, really -- they were the band with the most reunion buzz. Back together with frontman David Lee Roth, the legendary arena rockers were close to signing a recording contract with a new label (initially rumored to be with Columbia but landing at Interscope) after 40 years at Warner Bros., and releasing their first album together since the monstrous 1984. What better place to reveal a potential release date or a first televised performance than at a Grammys event? So when the tweet appeared at 5:45pm on Nov. 3 with the most Van Halen-obvious hint imaginable and a link to the Hitfix story, it was all but a fait accompli that guitarist Eddie Van Halen, his bass-playing son Wolfgang, who took over for Michael Anthony in 2006, drummer Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth would be present at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater on Nov. 30. STORY: Grammy Awards: Complete List of Nominees Of course, nothing of the sort actually transpired during the televised special. There was no surprise announcement, nor was there an appearance by an "iconic band." Instead, the nominations concert offered a few of the Grammys' signature pairings -- Lady Gaga with Sugarland, Usher with Valerie Simpson -- along with a performance by country newcomers The Band Perry and a hip hop collective comprised of Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Melle Mel and Scorpio, who performed Furious Five's 1982 classic "The Message." At a press conference immediately following the broadcast, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow was asked about the Van Halen no-show by Melinda Newman, the Hitfix editor who first wrote about the rumor and a former Billboard bureau chief. His response: "We talked about having something on the show tonight which was gonna be specifically about a reunion and sort of announcing it. What happened is very simple -- as you know, in the world of creativity everything is fluid so in the process of discussions that we have been having with an expectation that perhaps we would be at a point tonight where the artist involved and we would be moving forward and actually being ready to announce, they weren't quite at that point. So given that it's live television, we move on, we go to the next act, it's rock-n-roll and so on. That being said, we were genuine about the intention and we were genuine about discussions, so now the time frame moves a little further along and we'll see what happens on Feb. 12." A masterfully evasive commenter, in Portnow's non-speak, he never addresses Van Halen by name, continuing to perpetuate a rumor that his organization had basically already backed with that initial tweet. But the following morning, a different tale was told as Rolling Stone speculated and the Los Angeles Times reportedthat the band was never Van Halen, but rather the Beach Boys who have reunited its four surviving members, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston, for a 50th anniversary tour due to kick off in summer 2012. In a case of fortuitous timing, the band's last semi-completed effort, Smile, recorded in 1966, was released by Capitol Records on Nov. 1 as The Smile Sessions, with the full backing of all four members. STORY:Grammy Nominations: By the Numbers Indeed, the Beach Boys are a Grammys no-brainer, too, and Wilson has himself appeared at several Recording Academy events over the years. The songwriter and producer was even honored in 2004 as the Musicares Person of the Year, an official Grammy function and fundraiser that helps support musicians in need. So to make a Beach Boys announcement or even feature a performance on the Grammys also makes perfect sense. According to the LA Times, talks with the Beach Boys fell apart 48 hours before the show, but that doesn't negate the initial Grammys tweet, which, in essence, acted as a truncated press release that said Van Halen would be there. The sequence of events reinforces, yet again, Twitter'spower and speed of broadcast. All this secrecy and confusion brings to bear a nagging question: was this a flippant tweet or did the Grammys purposely launch a misinformation campaign to get the media and in turn viewers -- among them, scores of Van Halen fans -- to tune into their We Are Music nominations special? With ratings up 12%, it certainly worked, but if we're all going to get used, shouldn't the Grammys at least buy us breakfast in the morning? Here's what we know: nothing. A source within the Van Halen camp tells The Hollywood Reporter that the band were never scheduled to appear on the program and that this is a classic case of "the internet gone crazy." But the insider was hard-pressed to explain the Grammys tweet, revealing that the band was equally miffed. The Grammys did not respond to THR's request for further explanation of Portnow's comments. Newman, who THR also reached out to, declined to comment. PHOTOS: Top 10 Highest Paid Music Artists But now that we've all published, pontificated and perpetuated, who's the winner of this pointless exercise? Van Halen, who received untold amounts of publicity during a time when they were negotiating a lucrative new recording contract -- and justifiably so since clearly the anticipation for a new Van Halen album, tour and all the accouterments that come with a grand-scale reunion have reached feverish proportions. Who loses? Van Halen's fans who tuned into a 60-minute kudos fest and the closest they got to witnessing real rock and roll was when the Foo Fighters' Wasting Light was listed as an Album of the Year contender. The Beach Boys lose, too, because if they do appear on the Grammys this year, their name and Van Halen's will inevitably live side-by-side in subsequent press reports, taking away from the impact of the announcement. And the Recording Academy doesn't emerge from the hoopla unscathed, either. With the understanding that the organization has an awards show to promote and a buzz to build, should that come at the expense of honesty? If Academy executives knew that Van Halen was never in discussions to appear, isn't it now time they reveal the truth in some capacity and put an end to the message board madness? Or simply be straight with someone? Anyone? Maybe marketing executive Steve Stoute had the right idea when he took the Grammys to task last year, spending $40,000 to place a full-page open letter in the NY Times. His gripe: that the Grammys were out-of-touch with popular music and used the names of superstar artists like Justin Bieber and Eminem (the former lost Best New Artist to Esperanza Spalding, the latter lost Album of the Year to Arcade Fire) to lure viewers to their broadcast and ultimately leave them disappointed. Sound familiar? But all hope is not lost where the various players are concerned, we have a solution: "California Girls" as performed by the unlikely pairing of, yes, Van Halen and the Beach Boys, lest we forget that David Lee Roth scored a massive solo career hit with the Beach Boys' 1965 hit, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his 1985 version (see video below). And for good measure, the Grammys can throw Katy Perry in the mix. Now that's worth tuning in for. Twitter: @shirleyhalperin PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 54th Annual Grammy Nominees: Kanye West, Adele, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Katy Perry Related Topics Interscope Grammy Awards Beach Boys Eminem Justin Bieber CBS Columbia Records Van Halen

Chris Columbus' Production Company Acquires Sci-Fi Novel (Exclusive)

NY - Social games maker Zynga in the beginning Friday made relation to their IPO official.our editor recommendsZynga Offered $2.25 Billion Deal to buy 'Angry Birds' Owner (Report)Lucasfilm's Indiana Manley Endeavors Into Social Gaming With Zynga's Adventure World The business behind such games as CityVille, Frontierville and FarmVille, expects to boost around $1 billion by selling 100 million shares inside a price of $8.50-$10, according to an up-to-date controlling filing. In comparison, Google elevated $1.9 billion within the IPO. Under ticker symbol ZNGA, the stock is predicted to start purchasing and selling on Nasdaq by 12 ,. 16. Supposing a $10 per share cost, Zynga might be worth nearly $7 billion, in line with the Wall Street Journal. The business, introduced by Boss Mark Pincus, is beginning its so-referred to as road show to advertise the IPO on Monday. Pincus presently holds a 38.2 percent stake in Zynga and may hold 37.four percent following a IPO, in line with the filing. He won't sell shares, but he'll inside the IPO lose voting energy on the market of 350,000 shares possessed by Digital Sky Technologies, a good investment firm founded by Yuri Milner that has furthermore been an investor in Facebook, Twitter and Spotify. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Zynga

Fox Announces Midseason Sched: Touch Gets Monday 9 PM Slot, American Idol Paired With Mobbed On Wednesdays

Fox today was the last broadcast network to reveal its midseason plans. There were no major surprises. The J.J. Abrams-produced time-travel drama Alcatraz will air in the Monday 9 PM slot as announced at Fox’s upfront in May. As expected, it will share the slot — once occupied by real-time drama 24 – with 24 star Kiefer Sutherland’s new drama series Touch. Alcatraz launches on January 16, Touch on March 19 after a preview on January 25 behind American Idol. Resurrected comedy Breaking In officially joins Fox’s new 2-hour, 4-show Tuesday comedy block, which will launch March. 6 when Glee will go on hiatus before returning with all-original episodes. With pilots Family Album and Little In Common dead, Fox is short a show, so it will air New Girl reruns, along with new New Girl, Raising Hope and Breaking In. The multi-camera I Hate My Teenage Daughter, which premiered after The X Factor last night, is not on the scheule, but Fox says it will return as originally planned in spring, airing behind a 90-minute American Idol performance show. Bones spinoff The Finer will premiere on Jan. 12 nehind a Bones rerun. Starting the following week, it will air after the American Idol results show. New animated series Napoleon Dynamite has been assigned the Sunday 8:30 PM slot currently occupied by Allen Gregory. Here is Fox’s midseason schedule with premiere dates: MONDAY Monday, Jan. 16: 8:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Series Premiere) Mondays, beginning Jan. 23: 8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE (Time Period Premiere) 9:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Time Period Premiere) Monday, March 12: 8:00-10:00 PM ALCATRAZ (Two-Hour Episode) Mondays, beginning March 19: 8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE 9:00-10:00 PM TOUCH (Series Premiere) **************************** TUESDAY Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 17: 8:00-9:00 PM GLEE 9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL 9:30-10:00 PM RAISING HOPE Tuesdays, beginning March 6: 8:00-8:30 PM NEW GIRL (encore) 8:30-9:00 PM BREAKING IN (Season Premiere) 9:00-9:30 PM NEW GIRL 9:30-10:00 PM RAISING HOPE **************************** WEDNESDAY Wednesday, Jan. 4: 8:00-9:00 PM GLEE (encore) 9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED Wednesday, Jan. 11: 8:00-9:00 PM MOBBED (encore) 9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED Wednesday, Jan. 18: 8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part One) Wednesday, Jan. 25: 8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL 9:00-10:00 PM TOUCH (Special Preview) Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 1: 8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL 9:00-10:00 PM MOBBED Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 15: 8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Two-Hour Episodes) *************************** THURSDAY Thursday, Jan. 12: 8:00-9:00 PM BONES (encore) 9:00-10:00 PM THE FINDER (Series Premiere) Thursdays, beginning Jan. 19: 8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL (Season Premiere, Part Two) 9:00-10:00 PM THE FINDER *************************** FRIDAY Friday, Jan. 6: 8:00 PM-CC ET FOX SPORTS SPECIAL:2012 AT&TCOTTON BOWL CLASSIC (Live) Fridays, beginning Jan. 13: 8:00-9:00 PM KITCHEN NIGHTMARES 9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE *************************** SATURDAY Saturdays, beginning Jan. 7: 8:00-8:30 PM COPS 8:30-9:00 PM COPS 9:00-10:00 PM DRAMAENCORES 11:00 PM-Midnight ENCORES Midnight-12:30 AM ENCORES Saturday, Feb. 11: 8:00-10:00 PM AMERICAS MOST WANTED SPECIAL EDITION 11:00 PM-Midnight ENCORES Midnight-12:30 AM ENCORES *************************** SUNDAY Sunday, Jan. 8: 7:00-7:30 PM BOBS BURGERS (encore) 7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW (encore) 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD Sunday, Jan. 15: 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Series Premiere) 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Special Time) Sunday, Jan. 22: 6:00 PM-CC ET FOX SPORTS SPECIAL:NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (Live) 10:00 PM ET/ AMERICAN IDOL (Special Broadcast; Approximate Start Time) 7:00 PT Sundays, beginning Jan. 29: 7:00-7:30 PM BOBS BURGERS (encore) 7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM NAPOLEON DYNAMITE 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD Sundays, beginning March 11: 7:00-7:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES 7:30-8:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW 8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 8:30-9:00 PM BOBS BURGERS (Season Premiere) 9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD [EDITORS NOTE 1: I HATE MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER will return with all-new episodes following AMERICAN IDOL in the spring.] [EDITORS NOTE 2: After its winter finale, GLEE will return with all-new episodes in the spring.] [EDITORS NOTE 3: BONES will return to the schedule with all-new episodes in the spring.]

Leonardo DiCaprio on Embodying J. Edgar Hoover

Leonardo DiCaprio on Embodying J. Edgar Hoover By Jenelle Riley November 23, 2011 Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio has been a star for so long, it can be easy to forget he is also an actoran amazing one at that. He is an instinctive talent whose first major film role was opposite Robert De Niro in "This Boy's Life" and who earned his first Oscar nomination at 19 for his flawless portrait of Johnny Depp's mentally challenged brother in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Although the 1997 phenomenon "Titanic" turned him into a worldwide celebrity, DiCaprio never took on the kind of easy paychecks that might have tempted others. Even from a young age, he seemed determined to seek roles that challenged him personally and paired him with top filmmakersSteven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Clint Eastwood heading the list. But it often seemed that even though DiCaprio is beloved by the masses, his most solid work has gone unnoticed. He was praised for lending his star power to "Inception," Christopher Nolan's art house film disguised as a big-budget blockbuster. Yet his heartbreaking performance remained largely underrated. Accolades and awards are often lavished on his co-stars, be it Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of NY" or Kate Winslet in "Titanic" and "Revolutionary Road," while DiCaprio has consistently made his job look easy. Instead, DiCaprio is an inherently talented actor who studies and prepares intensely for his roles. His abilities are currently on display as the title character in "J. Edgar," a biopic about FBI head J. Edgar Hoover (18951972), whose contributions to crime fighting might be overshadowed only by his controversial tactics. For that role in the Eastwood-directed film, the actor took a fraction of his $20 million fee and studied every angle of trivia, including assertions that Hoover was gay and a cross-dresser. It's a bravura performance, one that's sure to net him his fourth Academy Award nomination, if not the win. After all, DiCaprio gets the golden trifecta as Hoover: He gets to play gay, age 50 years, and die.Back Stage: You started in commercials at a young age; at what point did you realize acting was a career? Leonardo DiCaprio: I've used this quote before, but I really mean it: I always felt like being an actor was an elite club I never really belonged to. My stepbrother was an actor in commercials and TV shows all throughout my youth, and I loved acting. I loved imitating people I loved drama class; I loved joking around with my parents and creating different characters. I liked doing my own little homemade skits. I always wanted to be an actor, but no agent would accept me for many years. I tried to go to many different agents, and they didn't want to accept me. I think because I was break dancing at the time and had a weird, punkish haircut and dressed like a street kid. Back Stage: When did you finally get a foothold in the business? DiCaprio: I finally got accepted by an agent when I was 12 or 13 years old. If it wasn't for the fact I lived in Hollywood, I don't think I would be an actor. I grew up in the heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood and Western, for the first nine years of my life. It was kind of Prostitution Alley back then. But I got to go to this really wonderful school, which was University Elementary School, UES, which is a magnate program of UCLA. They accepted me on scholarship. So my mom sacrificed her time every day driving from Hollywood to Westwood, stuck in traffic every day. It would be a 45-minute ride there and back every day; she had to pick me up because the bus didn't go there. And when I started to be an actor, she let me go on auditions and would drop me off. If I was born in Ohio and had the dream of being an actor, I don't think I'd be here today. Financially, we couldn't have uprooted and moved here. Back Stage: Well, it might have happened; it just would have taken longer, don't you think? DiCaprio: To be honest, I think that life is a series of being incredibly prepared for that one opportunity. And that one opportunity may have never come along for me, you know? I had that one opportunity with "This Boy's Life," and I was lucky enough to have gotten that role. I was in the right place at the right time.Back Stage: Is it true Robert De Niro handpicked you for the role of his stepson in "This Boy's Life"? DiCaprio: It was the director, Michael Caton-Jones, and De Niro. It was a very coveted role, there were hundreds of kids auditioning for it, and it came down to the wire with myself, Tobey [Maguire], and one or two other kids. I just got lucky that day. We did this final audition with De Niro and Michael, and luckily, they saw something in me. I believe it was De Niro who said they should go with me, but you'd have to ask him that question; I don't know exactly how that went down. And when you ask him, I'd love to hear the answer! [Laughs.]Back Stage: Is there anything that stands out about that audition that might have helped you snag the role? DiCaprio: I remember screaming at De Niro in the audition. We did a scene where he's ramming a mustard jar in my eye and yelling at me, and I remember he was getting really intense with me because, you know, the character is an abusive father. He was getting in my face, and I remember yelling at him. It wasn't in the script; it was improvised. And then there was sort of a chuckle in the room; I remember them laughing and not really understanding why they were laughing. I think it was because he got me really angry, and they liked how I responded. That's what my memory serves, but his could be a completely different interpretation. They could have sat there and said, "Wow, this kid's ridiculous, but let's give him a shot."Back Stage: You were working with icons like De Niro at an early age, which had to be intimidating. By that same token, are you aware of how you might be intimidating to some of your co-stars? DiCaprio: I definitely can see how people in the public eye can make others comfortable or uncomfortable, and I try my best to let things sort of happen naturallyon set and in life, too. I don't think about it that much, because I do consider myself a pretty relatively normal human being, although my life is incredibly bizarre. I sometimes try to figure out how people perceive me, but it's something you can never truly understand. I know how I feel amongst people who are in the public eye, and there's always a little bit of wariness around themit's like there's an elephant in the room. So I try my best not to think about that type of thing, or I could be endlessly trying to figure it out. Back Stage: Because you are a celebrity, do you ever feel you don't get the respect you deserve as an actor? DiCaprio: I think that it's incredibly important to listen to criticism. I consider myself what I consider myself, and that is somebody that's always trying to be better. No matter what anybody thinks about my work, I'm constantly trying to improve, and I really do care about what I do on a very deep level, and it does affect my life on a very deep level. It is my life's passion. I'm very lucky to know this is something I wanted to do ever since I was very young. It's my earliest memory. And I feel fortunate for that. With every role that I've chosen or every movie I've been a part of, I always think about the unbelievable accomplishments of actors and directors in the past and how many great performances have been given, and how many great films there have been in cinema's history. And I have a great amount of respect for that. So I suppose my endless, unattainable goal is to do something that is as good as I see in cinema's past. And I don't know if I will ever, on a personal level, believe that I have accomplished that. I don't know if I'll ever sit here and see a film and say, "This is absolutely everything I ever dreamed of on a personal or cinematic level." But that's what sort of drives me. When I was 15 and I got that part in "This Boy's Life," I sat for a year and just watched every damn movie I possibly could, and I was just awestruck by what's been accomplished. From first seeing Jimmy Cagney in "Public Enemy," all the way to some of the great actors of today, there have been so many great performances. Back Stage: From a young age, you've made interesting choices in your roles. Were you operating on instinct, or did you have a plan for your career? DiCaprio: From the beginning, I considered it an honor, and I still do, just to be able to do what I do professionally. I never forget I came from a group of young actors, and not everyone gets to be so lucky to do what we do. It's a huge honor, and something I don't want to disrespect. I remember my second movie being "Gilbert Grape" I remember having the opportunity to do another type of movie at that timeI think it was "Hocus Pocus"and I was offered more money than I ever dreamed of in my life in one go. But there was something about that role in "Gilbert Grape" that made me say, "You know what? I'm going to pass on this and go for this other role." I don't know quite where that came from as a 16-year-old kid, but seeing all those movies in that time period made me really want to play that Arnie Grape character. And for whatever reason, I was just hooked at that point. Back Stage: Have you ever taken acting classes or worked with a coach? DiCaprio: I took junior high and high school drama class. From a young age, I read a lot of books about the Meisner technique and Stanislavsky. But I never reconnected with it until I got to start working with Larry Moss in my 20s. Larry's class is an amazing one. He takes it from a psychological level of conquering your own fears and fighting your inhibitions and taking chances. We all have these emotions we carry around within us, but to be able to release them as an actor is fundamental. Acting and psychology are two sides of the same coin for him. Back Stage: What was the first film you worked with him on, and do you still work with him? DiCaprio: "The Aviator." And I consult with him all the time. If it's not a series of meetings, I always consult with him before every movie, just to bat around different character ideas and talk about the creation of what kind of decisions I want to make as an actor. It's incredibly beneficial to have that bouncing board and somebody to challenge you artistically like that.Back Stage: What sort of practical advice would you offer actors? DiCaprio: I've had young people come up to me and ask me about acting and how to get into the industry, and I always talk about preparation. Go to acting class; learn the fundamentals. Then go to L.A., where all the auditions are. Those are the first two things. And the third thing is, know your damn lines. Know your lines inside and out, to the point at which they become secondhand. Like everyone else, I'm a big fan of Stanley Kubrick; I really wish I could have worked with him. There was something about the way he worked with his actors, a certain exhaustion all his actors had and a certain naturalness in the way they said their lines. It's because they were doing 50 to 100 takes sometimes. There's no way they didn't know every next word that was coming out of their mouth. There was a certain calm and easeeven when you're insane like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining"there's a certain ease that you have with your dialogue where you can play around. And the ability to play around comes with being prepared and knowing who your character is and what they're going to say. Then you can improv and do other things, because you have the roots and you can create the branches and leaves. But you have to know the fundamentals, and the most important fundamental is: Know what you're going to say.Back Stage: What interested you in playing J. Edgar Hoover? DiCaprio: I'd been involved with another project for a few years, "Public Enemies," where I started to read up on Hoover. I was involved in the development process with Michael Mann, but I forget what happened. I think it was scheduling conflicts, and then Michael started developing it on his own for a while, and it became more of an all-Dillinger story as opposed to a two-hander. So the idea of doing a movie about that era and J. Edgar Hoover was always sort of in my subconscious. When I heard that Dustin Lance Black, who did "Milk," had done a script, I immediately got it and read it. It was one of those screenplays that brought up a million more questions for meabout his personal life, what motivated him, who he was, what he was involved with historically in our country and government. Dustin really captured the essence of him. And who doesn't want to work with Clint Eastwood? I knew it was a character I had to sink my teeth into. I started to research him immediately, even though I didn't necessarily have the role yet. Back Stage: How did you go about getting into the skin of Hoover? DiCaprio: It was incredibly challenging; I put a lot of research and preparation into it. I got to go to Washington, D.C., and retrace Hoover's steps, and go into his old house and see the place where he died in his living room. I got to go to the FBI and stand in his office and see the view and where he ate with Clyde Tolson every day in his corner booth. I got to fly down to North Carolina and meet Deke Deloach, the last man who worked with Hoover who knew him on an intimate level. It really was a lot of fun and really shaped the Hoover I tried to put up onscreen. Back Stage: You've played your share of real-life people; what's the appeal for you? DiCaprio: I do love playing historical figures simply because there's so much incredibly diverse interesting information about a character when you can research their life. A lot of the stuff you'd never be able to make up as a writer. You'd say, that's completely unrealisticHoover would never do that! It's just so interesting to try and embody somebody like that. It's a different process on something like "Inception," where it's more months of sitting down with the director and shaping the character's subplot and making up their history. I enjoy them both, but I must admit I love playing people where a lot of the answers are already out there, because it's shocking to find out what people have really done in the real world.Back Stage: You've also played your share of unreliable narrators; any reason you're drawn to those roles? DiCaprio: Yeah. I like that term, "unreliable narrator." Recently, people have been asking me about the type of decisions I've made, and I think something I'm going to continue to do is not question why I'm drawn to certain types of roles or genres of movies. You feel like you have to be of service to something, and I feel like whatever it is about those characterswhether they're unreliable narrators or some sort of dysfunction, or have some sort of similarity to other charactersthere's a reason I want to play them, and I don't want to question that. Like I said, I feel very honored to be able to pick and choose what I do. So I'm just going to continue not questioning it.Outtakes Received Oscar nominations for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Aviator," and "Blood Diamond" won a Golden Globe Award for "The Aviator"Is shooting "The Great Gatsby" with director Baz Luhrmann, then set to film a role in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"An active environmentalist, he produced and narrated "The 11th Hour," a documentary about the global environment.His company, Appian Way Productions, has produced such films as "Red Riding Hood," "Orphan," and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon." Leonardo DiCaprio on Embodying J. Edgar Hoover By Jenelle Riley November 23, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT Kevin Winter/Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio has been a star for so long, it can be easy to forget he is also an actoran amazing one at that. He is an instinctive talent whose first major film role was opposite Robert De Niro in "This Boy's Life" and who earned his first Oscar nomination at 19 for his flawless portrait of Johnny Depp's mentally challenged brother in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Although the 1997 phenomenon "Titanic" turned him into a worldwide celebrity, DiCaprio never took on the kind of easy paychecks that might have tempted others. Even from a young age, he seemed determined to seek roles that challenged him personally and paired him with top filmmakersSteven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Clint Eastwood heading the list. But it often seemed that even though DiCaprio is beloved by the masses, his most solid work has gone unnoticed. He was praised for lending his star power to "Inception," Christopher Nolan's art house film disguised as a big-budget blockbuster. Yet his heartbreaking performance remained largely underrated. Accolades and awards are often lavished on his co-stars, be it Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of NY" or Kate Winslet in "Titanic" and "Revolutionary Road," while DiCaprio has consistently made his job look easy. Instead, DiCaprio is an inherently talented actor who studies and prepares intensely for his roles. His abilities are currently on display as the title character in "J. Edgar," a biopic about FBI head J. Edgar Hoover (18951972), whose contributions to crime fighting might be overshadowed only by his controversial tactics. For that role in the Eastwood-directed film, the actor took a fraction of his $20 million fee and studied every angle of trivia, including assertions that Hoover was gay and a cross-dresser. It's a bravura performance, one that's sure to net him his fourth Academy Award nomination, if not the win. After all, DiCaprio gets the golden trifecta as Hoover: He gets to play gay, age 50 years, and die.Back Stage: You started in commercials at a young age; at what point did you realize acting was a career? Leonardo DiCaprio: I've used this quote before, but I really mean it: I always felt like being an actor was an elite club I never really belonged to. My stepbrother was an actor in commercials and TV shows all throughout my youth, and I loved acting. I loved imitating people I loved drama class; I loved joking around with my parents and creating different characters. I liked doing my own little homemade skits. I always wanted to be an actor, but no agent would accept me for many years. I tried to go to many different agents, and they didn't want to accept me. I think because I was break dancing at the time and had a weird, punkish haircut and dressed like a street kid. Back Stage: When did you finally get a foothold in the business? DiCaprio: I finally got accepted by an agent when I was 12 or 13 years old. If it wasn't for the fact I lived in Hollywood, I don't think I would be an actor. I grew up in the heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood and Western, for the first nine years of my life. It was kind of Prostitution Alley back then. But I got to go to this really wonderful school, which was University Elementary School, UES, which is a magnate program of UCLA. They accepted me on scholarship. So my mom sacrificed her time every day driving from Hollywood to Westwood, stuck in traffic every day. It would be a 45-minute ride there and back every day; she had to pick me up because the bus didn't go there. And when I started to be an actor, she let me go on auditions and would drop me off. If I was born in Ohio and had the dream of being an actor, I don't think I'd be here today. Financially, we couldn't have uprooted and moved here. Back Stage: Well, it might have happened; it just would have taken longer, don't you think? DiCaprio: To be honest, I think that life is a series of being incredibly prepared for that one opportunity. And that one opportunity may have never come along for me, you know? I had that one opportunity with "This Boy's Life," and I was lucky enough to have gotten that role. I was in the right place at the right time.Back Stage: Is it true Robert De Niro handpicked you for the role of his stepson in "This Boy's Life"? DiCaprio: It was the director, Michael Caton-Jones, and De Niro. It was a very coveted role, there were hundreds of kids auditioning for it, and it came down to the wire with myself, Tobey [Maguire], and one or two other kids. I just got lucky that day. We did this final audition with De Niro and Michael, and luckily, they saw something in me. I believe it was De Niro who said they should go with me, but you'd have to ask him that question; I don't know exactly how that went down. And when you ask him, I'd love to hear the answer! [Laughs.]Back Stage: Is there anything that stands out about that audition that might have helped you snag the role? DiCaprio: I remember screaming at De Niro in the audition. We did a scene where he's ramming a mustard jar in my eye and yelling at me, and I remember he was getting really intense with me because, you know, the character is an abusive father. He was getting in my face, and I remember yelling at him. It wasn't in the script; it was improvised. And then there was sort of a chuckle in the room; I remember them laughing and not really understanding why they were laughing. I think it was because he got me really angry, and they liked how I responded. That's what my memory serves, but his could be a completely different interpretation. They could have sat there and said, "Wow, this kid's ridiculous, but let's give him a shot."Back Stage: You were working with icons like De Niro at an early age, which had to be intimidating. By that same token, are you aware of how you might be intimidating to some of your co-stars? DiCaprio: I definitely can see how people in the public eye can make others comfortable or uncomfortable, and I try my best to let things sort of happen naturallyon set and in life, too. I don't think about it that much, because I do consider myself a pretty relatively normal human being, although my life is incredibly bizarre. I sometimes try to figure out how people perceive me, but it's something you can never truly understand. I know how I feel amongst people who are in the public eye, and there's always a little bit of wariness around themit's like there's an elephant in the room. So I try my best not to think about that type of thing, or I could be endlessly trying to figure it out. Back Stage: Because you are a celebrity, do you ever feel you don't get the respect you deserve as an actor? DiCaprio: I think that it's incredibly important to listen to criticism. I consider myself what I consider myself, and that is somebody that's always trying to be better. No matter what anybody thinks about my work, I'm constantly trying to improve, and I really do care about what I do on a very deep level, and it does affect my life on a very deep level. It is my life's passion. I'm very lucky to know this is something I wanted to do ever since I was very young. It's my earliest memory. And I feel fortunate for that. With every role that I've chosen or every movie I've been a part of, I always think about the unbelievable accomplishments of actors and directors in the past and how many great performances have been given, and how many great films there have been in cinema's history. And I have a great amount of respect for that. So I suppose my endless, unattainable goal is to do something that is as good as I see in cinema's past. And I don't know if I will ever, on a personal level, believe that I have accomplished that. I don't know if I'll ever sit here and see a film and say, "This is absolutely everything I ever dreamed of on a personal or cinematic level." But that's what sort of drives me. When I was 15 and I got that part in "This Boy's Life," I sat for a year and just watched every damn movie I possibly could, and I was just awestruck by what's been accomplished. From first seeing Jimmy Cagney in "Public Enemy," all the way to some of the great actors of today, there have been so many great performances. Back Stage: From a young age, you've made interesting choices in your roles. Were you operating on instinct, or did you have a plan for your career? DiCaprio: From the beginning, I considered it an honor, and I still do, just to be able to do what I do professionally. I never forget I came from a group of young actors, and not everyone gets to be so lucky to do what we do. It's a huge honor, and something I don't want to disrespect. I remember my second movie being "Gilbert Grape" I remember having the opportunity to do another type of movie at that timeI think it was "Hocus Pocus"and I was offered more money than I ever dreamed of in my life in one go. But there was something about that role in "Gilbert Grape" that made me say, "You know what? I'm going to pass on this and go for this other role." I don't know quite where that came from as a 16-year-old kid, but seeing all those movies in that time period made me really want to play that Arnie Grape character. And for whatever reason, I was just hooked at that point. Back Stage: Have you ever taken acting classes or worked with a coach? DiCaprio: I took junior high and high school drama class. From a young age, I read a lot of books about the Meisner technique and Stanislavsky. But I never reconnected with it until I got to start working with Larry Moss in my 20s. Larry's class is an amazing one. He takes it from a psychological level of conquering your own fears and fighting your inhibitions and taking chances. We all have these emotions we carry around within us, but to be able to release them as an actor is fundamental. Acting and psychology are two sides of the same coin for him. Back Stage: What was the first film you worked with him on, and do you still work with him? DiCaprio: "The Aviator." And I consult with him all the time. If it's not a series of meetings, I always consult with him before every movie, just to bat around different character ideas and talk about the creation of what kind of decisions I want to make as an actor. It's incredibly beneficial to have that bouncing board and somebody to challenge you artistically like that.Back Stage: What sort of practical advice would you offer actors? DiCaprio: I've had young people come up to me and ask me about acting and how to get into the industry, and I always talk about preparation. Go to acting class; learn the fundamentals. Then go to L.A., where all the auditions are. Those are the first two things. And the third thing is, know your damn lines. Know your lines inside and out, to the point at which they become secondhand. Like everyone else, I'm a big fan of Stanley Kubrick; I really wish I could have worked with him. There was something about the way he worked with his actors, a certain exhaustion all his actors had and a certain naturalness in the way they said their lines. It's because they were doing 50 to 100 takes sometimes. There's no way they didn't know every next word that was coming out of their mouth. There was a certain calm and easeeven when you're insane like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining"there's a certain ease that you have with your dialogue where you can play around. And the ability to play around comes with being prepared and knowing who your character is and what they're going to say. Then you can improv and do other things, because you have the roots and you can create the branches and leaves. But you have to know the fundamentals, and the most important fundamental is: Know what you're going to say.Back Stage: What interested you in playing J. Edgar Hoover? DiCaprio: I'd been involved with another project for a few years, "Public Enemies," where I started to read up on Hoover. I was involved in the development process with Michael Mann, but I forget what happened. I think it was scheduling conflicts, and then Michael started developing it on his own for a while, and it became more of an all-Dillinger story as opposed to a two-hander. So the idea of doing a movie about that era and J. Edgar Hoover was always sort of in my subconscious. When I heard that Dustin Lance Black, who did "Milk," had done a script, I immediately got it and read it. It was one of those screenplays that brought up a million more questions for meabout his personal life, what motivated him, who he was, what he was involved with historically in our country and government. Dustin really captured the essence of him. And who doesn't want to work with Clint Eastwood? I knew it was a character I had to sink my teeth into. I started to research him immediately, even though I didn't necessarily have the role yet. Back Stage: How did you go about getting into the skin of Hoover? DiCaprio: It was incredibly challenging; I put a lot of research and preparation into it. I got to go to Washington, D.C., and retrace Hoover's steps, and go into his old house and see the place where he died in his living room. I got to go to the FBI and stand in his office and see the view and where he ate with Clyde Tolson every day in his corner booth. I got to fly down to North Carolina and meet Deke Deloach, the last man who worked with Hoover who knew him on an intimate level. It really was a lot of fun and really shaped the Hoover I tried to put up onscreen. Back Stage: You've played your share of real-life people; what's the appeal for you? DiCaprio: I do love playing historical figures simply because there's so much incredibly diverse interesting information about a character when you can research their life. A lot of the stuff you'd never be able to make up as a writer. You'd say, that's completely unrealisticHoover would never do that! It's just so interesting to try and embody somebody like that. It's a different process on something like "Inception," where it's more months of sitting down with the director and shaping the character's subplot and making up their history. I enjoy them both, but I must admit I love playing people where a lot of the answers are already out there, because it's shocking to find out what people have really done in the real world.Back Stage: You've also played your share of unreliable narrators; any reason you're drawn to those roles? DiCaprio: Yeah. I like that term, "unreliable narrator." Recently, people have been asking me about the type of decisions I've made, and I think something I'm going to continue to do is not question why I'm drawn to certain types of roles or genres of movies. You feel like you have to be of service to something, and I feel like whatever it is about those characterswhether they're unreliable narrators or some sort of dysfunction, or have some sort of similarity to other charactersthere's a reason I want to play them, and I don't want to question that. Like I said, I feel very honored to be able to pick and choose what I do. So I'm just going to continue not questioning it.Outtakes Received Oscar nominations for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Aviator," and "Blood Diamond" won a Golden Globe Award for "The Aviator"Is shooting "The Great Gatsby" with director Baz Luhrmann, then set to film a role in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"An active environmentalist, he produced and narrated "The 11th Hour," a documentary about the global environment.His company, Appian Way Productions, has produced such films as "Red Riding Hood," "Orphan," and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon."

NBC Issues Apology to Michele Bachmann for Jimmy Fallon's 'Late Night' Song Slam

Aldo RossiClockwise from left: Cari Fletcher, Paige Elizabeth, Dani Knights and Hayley Orrantia X Factor's Simon Cowell says girl group Lakoda Rayne, which he along with fellow judges L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger created when it paired bootcamp finalistsDani Knights, Cari Fletcher, Paige Elizabeth and Hayley Orrantia, was voted off the competition for being "too pretty."our editor recommends'X Factor' Double Elimination: Who Went Home for the Holidays?'X Factor' Burning Questions: Is L.A. Reid Out of the Demi Lovato Loop? Will Chris Rene's 'Young Homie' Be Released?'X Factor' Redux: Melanie Amaro Finds Her Spirit and Her Accent (Video) "It's a problem I've had all my life," he joked following Wednesday's elimination show. But in all seriousness, he blamed the group members' looks for their exit. "Girls didn't like them," Cowell said. "Groups are always difficult but I think someone like Drew is very good in that she speaks to teenagers like a teenager -- that's part of her appeal. They're a bit older, but it's the same principle." PHOTOS: 'X Factor' Behind the Scenes As The Top 11 Work Out the Week's Performances As for LeRoy Bell, the unlikely 60-year-old finalist who stole America's heart with his velvety voice and sweet disposition, Cowell doubts ageism was at work. "It was personality-ism," the head judge told the Hollywood Reporter. "You've really got to pop now, you've got to make people want to vote for you when you're competing with people like Drew or Rachel [Crow] or particularly what Melanie [Amaro] did Tuesday night. At this point, you make a statement and I always felt with LeRoy that he was slightly embarrassed that he had to compete with 13 ort 14-year-olds because he's a man and he's got dignity. And I kind of get it, but I felt that he didn't quite let himself go in the way that Josh [Krajcik] lets himself go." Speaking of letting things go, it seems Reid isn't holding a grudge when it comes to Cowell's verbal assault the other night. "L.A. was a little bit frosty at the beginning, particularly when he saw the playback of the show," Cowell cracked. "I don't think he liked that very much, because I had the last word." PHOTOS: Get to Know 'X Factor's' Top 17 Finalists Still, Cowell insists it's mostly for show. "I explained to L.A. before we did the show that we're going to have that kind of relationship," he said. "If you like each other, you can have that kind of banter." But Cowell isn't about to let the Demi Lovato slip go. To recap: Reid criticized Drew for singing the hit "Skyscraper" saying it was music for 40-year-olds. Lovato, who sings the song, is 19. "We haven't stopped talking about it," Cowell said with a chuckle. "I'm having the album delivered to his dressing room." Cowell adds that he was as surprised as anyone that Reid "didn't know the song," but he also saw it as an opportunity. "I loved it because I knew he was going to have a problem with [Drew], that's been going on for a while," Cowell explained. "So when he dropped the ball on Demi, it was like, 'Fine, now I'm going to say what I want to say.'" And did he ever. Cowell called Reid's insights "stupid, inaccurate rubbish" among a slew of other insults, leaving the Epic Records chairman dumbfounded. But no hard feelings -- minutes later, the two were kibitzing outside the X Factor stage door. It is television, after all. Twitter: @shirleyhalperin PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Inside Simon Cowell's 'X Factor' Trailer (Exclusive) PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'X Factor' Behind the Scenes: The Top 11 Work Out the Week's Performances Nicole Scherzinger Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Antonio L.A. Reid Lakoda Rayne LeRoy Bell Josh Krajcik Melanie Amaro Drew Ryniewicz The X Factor

'One Life to Live,' 'All My Children' Will Not Move Online

Prospect Park's ambitious plan to move ABC daytime soaps One Life to Live and All My Children from the small screen to the computer screen has been halted indefinitely.our editor recommendsFour More 'One Life to Live' Actors Set for Online Production'One Life to Live' Cast, Head Writer Ink Deals to Join Online ProductionProspect Park Announces Deal for 'One Life to Live' EP to ContinueSusan Lucci Responds to 'All My Children' Delay'All My Children' Launching Online in January The move had proven difficult as Prospect Park and the various guilds associated with transitioning the series to the Web struggle to come to terms. PHOTOS: 'All My Children': Famous Alums of ABC's Daytime Drama "After five months of negotiations with various guilds, hundreds of presentations to potential financial and technology partners, and a hope that we could pioneer a new network for the future, it is with great disappointment that we are suspending our aspirations to revive One Life to Live and All My Children via online distribution," said Prospect Park's Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinez in a joint statement issued Wednesday. "It is now becoming clear that mounting issues make our ability to meet our deadlines to get OLTL on the air in a reasonable time period following its January 13, 2012 ABC finale impossible," the statement continues. PHOTOS: Daytime Emmy Awards Red Carpet Arrivals Frank and Kwatinez cited the current economic landscape as another reason why their efforts with the guilds proved unsuccessful. "While we narrowed in on a financial infrastructure, the contractual demands of the guilds, which regulate our industry, coupled with the program's inherent economic challenges ultimately led to this final decision," they said. "In the end, the constraints of the current marketplace, including the evolution and impact of new media on our industry simply proved too great a match for even our passion." Frank and Kwatinez remain optimistic that the discussion will remain ongoing with creating original online content. "We hope that our efforts are not lost, and that we somehow created a dialogue and movement on the feasibility of first run, network quality content online," they said. Both the WGA and AFTRA issued statements expressing their disappointment that the endeavor wouldn't be moving forward. "We were disappointed to learn that Prospect Park's financing fell through," the WGA said. "Prior to the end of last week, we were close to a fair deal for the writers." Added AFTRA, the union that represents the actors for both soaps: "Despite initial progress in our negotiations with Prospect Park toward resolving a fair agreement to cover the performers appearing on these programs, we were perplexed and disappointed that for the past month Prospect Park has not responded to our repeated inquiries to resume those discussions. We now conclude from the press reports that Prospect Park faced other challenges unrelated to our negotiations, which prevented continuation of those discussions." Reports surfaced in early November that All My Children's move to the Web would be halted and that efforts would be spent on One Life to Live instead. That prompted All My Children veteran Susan Lucci to address speculation that she was one of the major causes for the delay. "There has been miscommunications as a result of statements in the press that I am one of the reasons that All My Children is not moving forward. This is simply untrue and not the case," wrote Lucci, who was the only regular to remain on the soap for the entirety of its 41-year run, a few days later. The only cast members signed on to the online continuation of All My Children are Cameron Mathison (Ryan) and Lindsay Hartley (Cara). Prospect Park, headed by Frank and Kwatinez, announced in September that it would launch All My Children on The Online Network, a new web-based platform that will include original programming, in January 2012 with One Life to Live to follow. In July, Prospect Park made a licensing deal with ABC that would continue production on the long-running soaps after both series concluded their runs on broadcast television for the Internet. ABC officially canceled the the two soaps in April, launching food and lifestyle series The Chew and the upcoming The Revolution. The news followed a string of daytime cancellations at other networks in recent years, including CBS' long-running The Guiding Light, As the World Turns and NBC's Passions. All My Children aired its final episode on Sept. 23. One Life to Live will broadcast its series finale in Jan. 13, 2012. Related Topics ABC All My Children One Life to Live

'Game Of Thrones' Season Two Preview Teases New Figures

Kids of summer time get ready, because winter is finally coming back, and it will not be pretty the next time around. Cinemax has launched a behind-the-moments featurette in the second season of "Bet on Thrones" that provides the very first glimpse at footage in the long awaited show. All of our favorite figures -- from Tyrion to Jon Snow towards the Hound -- are incorporated, in addition to newer and more effective ones. And when you desired another look at Arya around the lam, then you are fortunate. Season 2 - In Production Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss narrate the recording and express their excitement for that approaching second season. "A lot of great figures arcs and thus many great figures and plot twists and discloses," Benioff guaranteed. "I believe it will likely be an amazing journey for the audience." The 2 major moments revealed within the trailer is one of Jon and Mike past the Wall talking about the way they are pressing into Wildling territory, and also the aforementioned scene where Arya is disguised because the boy Arry, and it is near to being caught through the Queen's males. But you will find another great shots of Jorah and Daenerys, Joffrey as king and Bran with Maester Luwin which should get fans counting lower the seconds until "Bet on Thrones" premieres in April. Also revealed are the new figures within the show's approaching season. Renly Baratheon's new full Margaery Tyrell -- performed by "The Tudors" star Natalie Dormer -- is proven sitting alongside her king around the battleground. And you will find some quick shots of Carice Van Houten as Melissandre and Liam Cunningham as Davos thrown inside if you are quick enough to trap them. Personally, i can't wait to determine what Gwendoline Christie appears like as Brienne and just how Tom Wlaschiha causes us to be cringe as Jaqen H'ghar, but hopefully individuals is going to be revealed later on promotions. "Among the great challenges using the second months are the planet just broadened enormously and never only did we introduce a lot of new figures, but we are journeying to any or all new locations," Benioff taunted for season two. We can not wait! Did this promo enable you to get excited for season a couple of "Bet on Thrones"? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

Returns pay well for Steve Wynn

The 15% tax on returns may have unintended effects, which is amazing the amount of CEOs who never loved returns before love them under certain conditions.For example, Casino operator Wynn Resorts has made a decision to take advantage of returns use a vacation gift to traders. On 12 ,. 21, the business pays a distinctive dividend of $5 a share.Stockholders will probably be pleased, and none greater than Wynn affiliates who control greater than 36% in the outstanding shares. Among the large individuals who win are people named Wynn: Chairman and Boss Stephen Wynn has greater than hundreds of countless shares his former wife, director Elaine Wynn, holds 9.8 million shares. They'll collect a combined $99.3 million within the special dividend.Examined yet another way, Wynn Resorts is essentially needing to pay Steve Wynn a $50 million bonus. And because it is an expert dividend, under current rules, it'll be taxed inside a 15% rate. Once the cash happen to be paid out just like a bonus, it might have been taxed at 35%.So Steve Wynn eventually eventually ends up saving roughly $hundreds of countless in taxes as they received a dividend instead of an added bonus.For company affiliates lower round the ladder, the take is still pretty good. Chief financial officer Matt Maddox will uncover a $300,000 payday and general counsel Kimmarie Sinatra could possibly get greater than $200,000. -- Ernest Lisanti Title/titleShares ownedStephen A. Wynn Chairman, Boss, Director10,026,708Elaine P. WynnDirector9,832,370Marc D. Schorr COO, Director250,000Linda ChenPres., Wynn Intl. Marketing, Director210,000John Strzemp Professional V . p ., Chief Administrative Officer195,000Matt MaddoxCFO, Treasurer60,000Kimmarie SinatraGeneral Counsel, Secretary40,887Source: SEC filings Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

5 Best Quotes from New York Times Film Critic Manohla Dargis' Positive 'Breaking Dawn' Review

The 'Twilight' franchise has long been a critical punching bag, but is that about to change with the release of 'Breaking Dawn Part 1'? Probably not -- at least judging by the current 21 percent Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- but that doesn't mean there won't be some vocal dissenters. Take venerable NY Times critic Manohla Dargis, who gives what amounts to a rave review of 'Breaking Dawn,' while infusing it with some of the best critical one-liners of the year. Ahead, the five best quotes. 1. "Dawn isn't the only thing that gets broken in 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I,' the latest and best of the movies about a girl, her vampire and their impossible, ridiculously appealing - yes, I surrendered - love story. Marked by a canny mix of violence and chastity, the franchise has always had plenty of broken heads to go along with its pure thoughts, but here it also features a marital bed reduced to kindling after a rough night." 2. "Poor [Jacob] never stood a chance; vampires aren't just hot (and sometimes scorching, as on the HBO show 'True Blood'), they have, in recent years, also become the favorite go-to romantic male lead, the last, possibly sole defense against the nice-guy tide embodied by the Apatowesque freaks and geeks and their bromantic brethren." 3. "[Bill] Condon handles the little bit of action in 'Breaking Dawn' capably, but it's his work with (and sometimes around) the actors and his ability to translate ideas visually that lifts this movie above the rest. [...] Crucially and as important, Mr. Condon, whose earlier films include 'Dreamgirls' and 'Gods and Monsters,' can also offer up, and without a suggestion of filmmaker embarrassment, the sight of Mr. Lautner ripping off his shirt." 4. "[T]he unavoidable truth [is] that [Taylor] Lautner, whose pumped physique and flat affect bring to mind one of those friendly pizza delivery boys in a pornographic movie, remains a dish best served with as few words and clothes as possible." 5. "Mostly, [Condon] brings Bella toward her happily-ever-after by giving this movie over to her, her dreams and her desires, as in a cosmic montage sequence worthy of 'The Tree of Life,' but, you know, shorter. Edward may finally change Bella, but it's Mr. Condon who resurrects her." If you had 'Breaking Dawn' and 'The Tree of Life' appearing in the same sentence at any point this year, congratulations! Read Manohla Dargis' entire review over at the NY Times. [Photo: Summit Entertainment] 'Breaking Dawn Part 1' Premiere Photos See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Why John C. Reilly Was 'Busted' by Roman Polanski (Q&A)

Ever since his Boogie Nights porn star Reed Rothchild announced, with conviction, "People tell me I kinda look like Han Solo," John C. Reilly has occupied a coveted place in the hearts of cinephiles as the medium's most endearing underdog. Whether he's crooning the sweetly sad "Mr. Cellophane" for his Oscar-nominated role in 2002's Chicago, "shaking and baking" with Will Ferrell in 2006's Talladega Nights or playing the dad of troubled son in this fall's dark drama We Need to Talk About Kevin, the Chicago native manages to always inhabit the space between emotional realism and absurdity.our editor recommendsRoman Polanski's 'Carnage': What the Critics SayJohn C. Reilly in Trailer for Sundance Film 'Terri'Roman Polanski Receives Standing Ovation at Zurich Film FestivalRoman Polanskis 'Carnage' to Open NY Film FestivalKate Winslet, Jodie Foster Shooting Roman Polanski's 'God of Carnage' in ParisVenice 2011: Al Pacino's 'Wilde Salome,' Roman Polanski's 'Carnage' Win AwardsRelated Topics•The Race Here, the actor reveals how he landed his latest coup, a role in director Roman Polanski's four-person farce Carnage, why he's most proud of his three collaborations with director Paul Thomas Anderson, and why he's dying to play a priest. VIDEO: 'Carnage' Trailer The Hollywood Reporter: What has the response been to your performance in Carnage? John C. Reilly: Really good, actually. It's funny. ... You wonder: Are people in Europe going to get this? It's set in Brooklyn; is this movie meant for an American audience? But it got huge laughs in Italy. They were cheering it on like a boxing match! I think people all over the world can relate to its universal story: parents trying to resolve conflict on behalf of their kids. Every character is ridiculous in some way or another. What's most ridiculous is the characters' hypocrisy, and my guy is the first one to say: "There's an elephant in the room! This is ridiculous! What are we doing?" As an audience member, you're waiting for that relatable moment. He breaks the tension by saying: "F-- it. This is who I am." STORY: Feinberg Forecast: 'Carnage' Divides, 'Extremely' Intrigues, 'Moneyball' Grows THR: For those who follow your career, it has been fun to say "John C. Reilly" and "Roman Polanski" in the same sentence. How did this very different role come to you? Reilly: Honestly, it sounds strange, but it landed in my lap. Roman actually requested me. One day this phone call comes that says, "Roman Polanski wants you to come to Paris and shoot a movie." Funny enough, I'd actually been approached about doing the play a few years back -- the part that ultimately went to James Gandolfini -- so I was already very aware of the material. I guess he must have seen something he liked in my work! FILM REVIEW: We Need to Talk About Kevin THR: Likely it was your nailing the semi-coherent TV commentator Dr. Steve Brule on the late-night sketch series Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! I don't know this for sure, but I'm guessing you're the only actor who has appeared in both an Adult Swim program and a Polanski film. Reilly: (Laughs.) Yes, there are probably all kinds of odd facts like that from my career. I've cast a wide net, high and low, to say the least. THR: Were you nervous or hesitant to say yes to Carnage? Reilly: Hesitant? No. I was so honored to be asked. But I was definitely nervous. Being an actor is like constantly being the new kid in school -- you don't know anybody. I literally didn't know anyone in the cast. At least Roman had met these other actors before and knew their personalities. But there I was, sitting in this room, struggling to feel like I belonged there. I tried to embrace it, though. FILM REVIEW: Carnage THR: Did you do anything special to prepare for the role? Reilly: I read the play a few more times, and I didn't really do this for research, but I watched Chinatown again because I was so excited about working with Roman. I wanted to refresh myself. Man, that movie really holds up. The first time I saw it years ago, I hadn't been living in L.A. Now, having been here for a long time, it was like, "Wow, this is an incredible story about this city." THR: What did you learn about filmmaking from Roman? Reilly: It's funny, but when you're listening to a director, you usually you have to translate what they say into a usable note for yourself. I've worked with amazing directors like Martin Scorsese and Robert Altman, but they don't really speak from an actor's point of view sometimes. But with him, it was like having another actor working with you. He has a great sense of accuracy of human behavior; he will tell you if you're doing something false. During rehearsals, I'd have this book in my hand, and I have to set this book down in order to do the next bit of acting, and he would say: "Why would you put the book down? You don't know that you're going to pick up the bottle yet. You're doing that because you know you need your hands free, but that doesn't make sense." God, he busted me. He's totally right! He has such a great eye. THR: Was he as interactive during shooting? Reilly: Actually, hardly at all. He would give long notes to the lighting and sound departments. With the actors, he would make sure you were on your mark, but he wouldn't give you direction. One day, I started feeling: "Am I getting this? Am I doing it right?" and I asked him, "Roman, how is the acting department doing?" and he goes, "You want me to stroke your ego?" and I'm like: "No! I'm just looking for some feedback." And he said, "If there was anything wrong, believe me, I would tell you." A lot of great directors work that way. You pick the right people, make sure you're on the same page and let them do their job. I kind of relaxed after that. I realized that Roman tells stories through composition in the photography. I'm so used to directors trying to tell a story through the script, with a lot of focus on actors. After a few days, I loosened up. THR: You also have the very dark Lynne Ramsay film We Need to Talk About Kevin in the awards conversation this year. Does having appeared in two noncommercial films in a row mark a new chapter in your career? Reilly: Well, Carnage is a comedy, and in some ways, it's pretty playful. But yes, it's not "jokey" like a lot of what I've done. I just think I take what comes my way. It's not like I deliberately went into comedy at a certain point -- that opportunity arose. I think a lot of people look at actors from the outside and think: "Ah, he's chosen to do this! And his master plan is this!" But I think if you talk to any actor who's honest with him- or herself, you're always hitching to other people's wagons, just hoping to ride a momentum that's been created by other people. It's a different art from being a painter who's generating his own direction. Actually, it's more about saying no that influences the direction you're going. But what you can say yes to is more about luck and what the world wants to see at a given time. It's changing a little, but for a while, the only thing people wanted to see were comedies! They couldn't make them fast enough. For me, it was like: "Well, OK, I can be funny if that's what the world wants. That's cool." THR: Are there any roles you're still dying to play? Reilly: I've always wanted to do a Western. I've actually optioned a book that I'm looking for a director to take on. It's called The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt. I've also always wanted to play a priest. It's such an interesting theatrical and emphatic character I think I would be suited to play. I'm also interested in stories of survival and exploration; I've read a lot of books about that stuff. But, gosh, that's a tough question to answer. I'm so used to surrendering to the randomness of what comes my way as an actor. I rarely make wish lists. THR: What are you most proud of in your career? Reilly: The movies I made with Paul Thomas Anderson -- Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia -- were really personal expressions born out of a true creative collaboration. Those movies also marked the first time I was being asked to do something more than just "job in" as an actor. I was part of the storytelling in a deeper, much more personal way. In fact, the character I played in Magnolia, the cop, was born out of some improv sessions I did with Paul. I am really proud of those movies. But in terms of an overall effort made, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was one of the biggest endeavors I ever undertook. We recorded 35 original songs over a six-month period before we even started shooting the movie! I've heard it's somewhat of a cult classic among musicians. But is that my favorite film? I don't know. It's like picking your favorite kid -- they each have their merits and mark a specific time in your life. I generally don't spend a lot of time looking back -- it's too strange. Someday I'll maybe have a more retrospective attitude; for now, I'm generally too busy worrying about what I'm going to do next. MY FIRST SAG JOB: "It was my first movie, Brian De Palma's Casualties of War, in 1989. Previously to that I'd been an extra in a beer commercial, but that was AFTRA. So Casualties was my first SAG job. It was a milestone moment for me -- I never dreamed I'd ever be in a movie. I grew up doing plays as a kid. Then suddenly I have this membership card: SCREEN ACTORS GUILD. The coolest thing was having health insurance and being protected in terms of what I could earn. I'm a big believer in unions. They get a bad rap, but I believe they can be a great force for good. SAG has been a godsend for me. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to hustle out there for health care." Related Topics SAG Awards Jodie Foster Kate Winslet Martin Scorsese Will Ferrell Roman Polanski Paul Thomas Anderson Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Boogie Nights We Need to Talk About Kevin John C Reilly Carnage SAG Awards 2012 Awards Season Preview

FEINBERG FORECAST: 'The Help' and 'The Artist' Are Early Frontrunners at Globes

Dale Robinette/DreamworksBridesmaids What follows is my first assessment of the Golden Globe Awards' major categories...our editor recommendsRicky Gervais Returning as Host of Golden Globes'The Help's' Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer to Present at THR's Women in Entertainment BreakfastTHR's Directors Roundtable: How to Fire People, Who to Steal From, and Amy Pascal's Secret Advice'The Artist': The Not-So-Silent Entry BEST PICTURE (DRAMA) Frontrunners The Help (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer) The Descendants (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer) War Horse (Disney, 12/25, PG-13, trailer) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Warner Bros., 12/25, TBA, trailer) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Sony, 12/21, TBA, trailer) Major Threats The Ides of March (Sony, 10/14, TBA, trailer) Moneyball (Columbia, 9/23, TBA, trailer) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Focus Features, 12/9, TBA, trailer) J. Edgar (Warner Bros., 11/11, R, trailer) Margin Call (Roadside Attractions, 10/21, R, trailer) Possibilities The Iron Lady (The Weinstein Company, 12/30, TBA, teaser) Shame (Fox Searchlight, 12/2, NC-17, trailer) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 (Warner Bros., 7/15, PG-13, trailer) A Dangerous Method (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/23, R, trailer) Super 8 (Paramount, 6/10, PG-13, trailer) The Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer) OPINION: Bravo to the HFPA for Bringing Back Ricky Gervais as Golden Globes Host BEST PICTURE (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners The Artist (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, TBA, trailer) Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer) Bridesmaids (Universal, 5/13, R, trailer) Crazy Stupid Love (Warner Bros., 7/29, PG-13, trailer) Carnage (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/16, R, trailer) Major Threats Beginners (Focus Features, 6/3, R, trailer) 50/50 (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer) Young Adult (Paramount, 12/9, R, trailer) My Week with Marilyn (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, R, trailer) The Rum Diary (FilmDistrict, 10/28, R, trailer) Our Idiot Brother (The Weinstein Company, 8/26, R, trailer) Hugo (Paramount, 11/23, PG, trailer) Possibilities Bad Teacher (Sony, 6/24, R, trailer) Friends with Benefits (Sony, 7/22, R, trailer) We Bought a Zoo (20th Century Fox, 12/23, PG, trailer) The Muppets (Disney, 11/23, PG, trailer) The Hangover Part II (Warner Bros., 5/26, R, trailer) The Adventures of Tintin (Paramount, 12/21, PG, trailer) BEST DIRECTOR Frontrunners Alexander Payne (The Descendants) Steven Spielberg (War Horse) Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) Tate Taylor (The Help) Major Threats David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Clint Eastwood (J. Edgar) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Martin Scorsese (Hugo) Possibilities Steven Spielberg (The Adventures of Tintin) Bennett Miller (Moneyball) Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) Tomas Alfredson (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) Jason Reitman (Young Adult) Roman Polanski (Carnage) BEST ACTOR (DRAMA) Frontrunners George Clooney (The Descendants) Brad Pitt (Moneyball) Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) Tom Hanks (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Major Threats Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Michael Fassbender (Shame) Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) Paul Giamatti (Win Win) Ryan Gosling (Drive) Zachary Quinto (Margin Call) Possibilities Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method) Woody Harrelson (Rampart) Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus) Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners Jean Dujardin (The Artist) Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) Ewan McGregor (Beginners) Major Threats Johnny Depp (The Rum Diary) Eddie Murphy (Tower Heist) Ben Stiller (Tower Heist) Christoph Waltz (Carnage) John C. Reilly (Carnage) Possibilities Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo) Paul Rudd (Our Idiot Brother) Bradley Cooper (The Hangover Part II) Russell Brand (Arthur) Jesse Eisenberg (30 Minutes or Less) BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) Frontrunners Viola Davis (The Help) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Major Threats Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method) Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) Possibilities Helen Mirren (The Debt) Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) Michelle Yeoh (The Lady) Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of THR's Actress Roundtable 2011 BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) Charlize Theron (Young Adult) Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) Cameron Diaz (Bad Teacher) Emma Stone (Crazy Stupid Love) Major Threats Jodie Foster (Carnage) Kate Winslet (Carnage) Julianne Moore (Crazy Stupid Love) Possibilities Mila Kunis (Friends with Benefits) Jennifer Aniston (Horrible Bosses) Scarlett Johansson (We Bought a Zoo) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Frontrunners Christopher Plummer (Beginners) Albert Brooks (Drive) Kevin Spacey (Margin Call) Jeremy Irons (Margin Call) Colin Firth (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) Major Threats Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method) Stanley Tucci (Margin Call) Jonah Hill (Moneyball) Armie Hammer (J. Edgar) Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Possibilities Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life) Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Nick Nolte (Warrior) Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Frontrunners Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) Octavia Spencer (The Help) Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) Jessica Chastain (The Help) Berenice Bejo (The Artist) Major Threats Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) Carey Mulligan (Shame) Demi Moore (Margin Call) Judi Dench (J. Edgar) Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March) Possibilities Marion Cotillard (Midnight in Paris) Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) Amber Heard (The Rum Diary) Elle Fanning (Super 8) Judy Greer (The Descendants) Golden Globes The Artist Bridesmaids The Help Golden Globes 2012

Disney's Newsies Musical Heading to Broadway in 2012

Open the gates and seize the day! Following a successful run at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse, the Harvey Fierstein-adapted stage musical Newsies — based on the best period musical of all time about turn of the century paperboys fighting Big Business (that also starred Christian Bale) — will open on honest-to-goodness Broadway in March. This gives you bandwagon-jumpers plenty of time to catch up to the rest of us Newsies diehards who’ve known all along that one day, the family-friendly stylings of legions of dancing street urchins just trying to sell some ‘papes would catch on like gangbusters. The world will know …that we’re not crazy! (Right?) [Wall Street Journal]