Sony Corp. is pulling out of its LCD manufacturing partnership with Samsung, the company announced today. Samsung will pay $939 million for Sony’
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Sony Sells Stake In LCD Joint Venture To Samsung For $939M
Sony Classics Acquires Woody Allen’s ‘Nero Fiddled’
NEW YORK (December 21, 2011) ‘
Toronto: Big Stars, Big Risks Hit Film Fest
Only at a film festival: I left a movie today in which the basic plotline had to do with a man trying to deal with his wife’s terminal cancer diagnosis and all the horrible things that 
entails. Afterwards, the pic’s publicist comes up and asks how I liked it. ”Well, it was kind of depressing,” I said. To which she replied, “What exactly was depressing about it?” Spin, spin, spin. That’s what you get at film fests. At the more serious-minded Toronto Film Festival, though, things swung into high gear today. The big guns came into town, including the casts of Moneyball and The Ides Of March which had back-to-back premieres Friday night. At the Soho House pre-party for the Ides premiere, I talked to Philip Seymour Hoffman and suggested he was probably the first actor in history who actually had to walk two Red Carpets almost simultaneously since he stars in both films. Hoffman said he was about to collapse from having done junket interviews all day. Sony Pictures Marketing honcho Marc Weinstock is shepherding both films and said it was his idea to do the back-to-back premieres after the festival came to him. When it rains, it pours — and after the heartbreak of seeing its frontrunner The Social Network succumb to the Weinsteins’ The King’s Speech at the last Oscars, Sony is taking any awards talk cautiously this time around. As studio head Amy Pascal told me, “It’s just nice … Read More
Sony's Michael Lynton And Amy Pascal Acknowledge Hacker Breach
Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman/CEO Michael Lynton and co-chairman Amy Pascal have released this statement, acknowledging the studio was hit by hackers who’ve breached their system and come away with user passwords and other data:
“The cybercrime wave that has affected Sony companies and a number of government agencies, businesses and individuals in recent months has hit Sony Pictures as well. Yesterday afternoon a group of criminal hackers known as ‘
Is Tal Rabinowitz Replacing Jeff Ingold As Head Of Comedy At NBC?
EXCLUSIVE: NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt didn’t want to make major changes to his development team until after the upfronts next month. But I hear at least one move is already in the works: that NBC’s head of comedy Jeff Ingold is expected to leave the network, and hot Sony TV comedy executive Tal Rabinowitz is in line to replace him. Also it’s looking increasingly likely that 20th Century Fox TV EVP Jennifer Nicholson Salke could join her close friend Greenblatt at NBC as entertainment president after the upfronts.
Rabinowitz has been VP comedy at Sony TV and a rising star at the studio, overseeing some of the highest-profile comedy projects including The Big C, one of the last series developed and picked up by Greenblatt while he was entertainment president at Showtime. In addition to comedy, Rabinowitz has overseen digital development and programming for Sony. She started her career at the weblet WB. Rabinowitz and husband Terence Carter are poised to become quite the power TV network couple: he heads the drama development department at Fox.
As for Ingold, he’s served as EVP comedy at NBC since 2008. There has been speculation he might eventually join Bill Lawrence’s production company at Warner Bros as the two have a great relationship going back to the days when Ingold served as the exec on Lawrence’s NBC comedy Scrubs. Ingold … Read More
TOLDJA! MGM Makes Distribution Deal With Sony Pictures That Includes James Bond
Sony Pictures and MGM have finally announced the worst kept secret in Hollywood. They’ve reached an agreement that will return Sony Pictures to its role as distributor of the James Bond movies. Sony, along with studios like Warner Bros, Paramount and Fox, all engaged in talks with the reconstituted MGM on a deal that came at a hefty price. Deadline reported previously that MGM walked away with the right to be co-financier on several plum Sony films, including the David Fincher-directed The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, as well as others to be added to the mix, including the remake of Total Recall. The latter film might be particularly painful for Sony because sources tell us that MGM gets to distribute Total Recall in the highly valuable international TV market. This is considered a huge benefit to MGM in that it enhances the value of its international TV portfolio and robs Sony’s existing international TV partners of a title that is expected to be big overseas. Neither Sony nor MGM would comment on the horse-trading part of the deal.
Clearly, Sony wanted the Bond franchise back badly, and now Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton have brought 007 back into the fold. Deadline
New Michael Jackson video gives fans opportunity for starring role
[HMG Celebrity News] – The videos of Michael Jackson are a testament to originality and his creative flair, but the one for the next single ‘Behind the Mask’ breaks new ground even for him – because you could be in the cast. The suits at Sony launched a project today in which fans are invited [...]
Bloomberg: Sony Seeks New President To Solve Howard Stringer Successor Issue
It was a surprise when Sony named a non-Japanese and a non-engineer, Howard Stringer, as Chairman/CEO in 2005. Then Stringer took on the president’
It's Official: Fox Picks Up Christian Slater Comedy 'Breaking In' For Midseason
EXCLUSIVE: Fox has picked up comedy pilot Breaking In for midseason with a seven-episode order. The order comes after several weeks of negotiations between Fox and the project’s producer Sony Pictures TV. The single-camera workplace comedy starring Christian Slater is being rumored as a possible replacement for Fox’s underperforming fall comedy Running Wilde, which has not received a back order. It is expected to be featured on Fox’s upcoming midseason schedule. The Sony TV/Happy Madison-produced Breaking In, which is set at a digital security firm, was developed last season. The pilot, written /exec produced by Adam F. Goldberg and directed/exec produced by Seth Gordon, had buzz and tested very well but ultimately missed the cut for a series pickup at Fox in May. In June, the network gave it a new lease of life with an order for 2 additional scripts, leading to Sony TV’s decision to extend the options on the cast, led by Slater and featuring Reaper star Bret Harrison. With the pickup, Sony TV now has comedy series on each of the Big 4 broadcast networks: Mr. Sunshine and Happy Endings on ABC, veteran Rules of Engagement and midseason entry Mad Love on CBS, sophomore Community on NBC and Breaking In on Fox.
Fox Eyes Midseason Order For 'Breaking In'
EXCLUSIVE: Last season’s Fox comedy pilot Breaking In may make it to the air after all. I hear the network is in negotiations with Sony Pictures TV to pick up the project starring Christian Slater to series for midseason. The single-camera workplace comedy set at a digital security firm, is rumored as a possible replacement for underperforming fall comedy Running Wilde, which has not received a back order. Fox’s midseason schedule announced in May has Running Wilde airing after American Idol’s 90-minute performance show on Tuesday, sharing the 9:30 PM slot with midseason comedy Mixed Signals.
Hope for the Sony TV/Happy Madison-produced Breaking In never faded away. The pilot, written by Adam F. Goldberg and directed by Seth Gordon, had buzz and tested very well but ultimately missed the cut for a series pickup at Fox in May. In June, the network gave it a new lease of life with an order for 2 additional scripts, leading to Sony TV’s decision to extend the options on the cast, which is led by Slater and also includes Reaper star Bret Harrison.
FACEBOOK FILM #1: 'The Social Network' Opens With $23M Weekend; Big In Cities: "Rest Of The Country Could Care Less"
SATURDAY PM UPDATE: Sources have given me North American grosses for Friday, Saturday, weekend, and cumes:
1. The Social Network (Sony) NEW [2,771 Theaters]
Friday $8M, Saturday $9.1M, Weekend $23M
The stories behind Microsoft and Apple only rated TV movies. But The Social Network received the full big screen PG-13 treatment as the first major pedigreed project about the Internet that wasn’t just another crime thriller. It’s that rarity in Hollywood: a younger movie with adult dialogue but not without an element of risk because it’s a drama. “Big kudos to Amy Pascal because it was not an obvious movie to make,” one Hollywood influencer reminded me. That’s why media coverage of this much-buzzed-about Facebook origins pic has been so breathless about every nuance of the marketing campaign: from the launch of the initial teaser spots to the brilliant one-sheet to the enigmatic trailer and ‘
Emma Thompson Joins 'Men In Black 3'
Men in Black 3 is casting up. I’m told that Emma Thompson will be taking a lead role of Oh, the head of MIB. She’ll join Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin in the Barry Sonnenfeld-directed film for Sony Pictures Entertainment. She’s negotiating. Principal photography begins in mid-November.
Sony, Disney Step Into 3D TV Rabbit Hole
DISNEY AND SONY DRIVE BLU-RAY 3D’
Deb Schindler Transitions Back To NYC
At her own request, Deb Schindler, President of Sony International Motion Picture Production, will transition from London back to New York to be closer to her family. “My position will change to that of a consultant so that I will remain connected to the division and studio I love,” Schindler tells me. She has been with Sony Pictures Entertainment since 2004, when she headed up East Coast motion picture production and development for Columbia Pictures. In April 2007, she was named President of Sony Picture International Motion Picture Group (fka Local Language Production).
'The Other Guys' Beats 'Inception' For #1; 'Step Up 3D' Takes Big Leap Backwards
SATURDAY AM UPDATE: It’s looking like a down box office weekend in the U.S. and Canada with total grosses of $130 million, which is -8% compared to last year’s. Here are Friday’s numbers with weekend and cume estimates:
1. The Other Guys (Sony) expectedly knocked off Inception as the #1 domestic movie Friday with a right-on-target $13.1 million opening from 3,651 theaters. That should be a very big $35.5M weekend for the $90M budget buddy cop comedy. Sony Pictures’ summer hit streak (Karate Kid – $173M, Grown Ups – $152M, Salt – $78M) continues with what the studio believes will be another strong performer this weekend. The Adam McKay pic was helped considerably by Will Ferrell’s and Mark Wahlberg’s willingness to sell it anywhere and everywhere. (If it had tanked, then Will’s career would have tanked with it after Land Of The Lost. But The Other Guys will open at the higher end of Ferrell’s previous with McKay. Together, they’re 3 for 3: Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers) ”Our stars did a ton for us — all of the talk shows and lots of print coverage,” a Sony exec told me. “I think the one that really stood out included Will and Mark at Comic-Con where they hosted quite possibly the funniest panel in its history.” (Comic-Con: ‘The Other Guys’ Panel) The film was even well-received by critics, with a 79% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. As for marketing tools, Sony launched a poll on Facebook with Wahlberg/Ferrell … Read More
Maggie Grace In 'Lockout' Mode With Luc Besson
EXCLUSIVE: Frenchman Luc Besson has built Europacorp by hatching moderately priced thrillers, and populating them with casts, writers and directors he works with over and over. Maggie Grace, last seen as the kidnapped teenager in the Besson-Robert Mark Kamen collaboration Taken that launched director Pierre Morel’s star, has signed on for Lockout, a drama that Sony Pictures Entertainment is in talks to distribute. The picture transports a Taken-like premise to outer space. Besson hatched the script with directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger.
Guy Pearce is attached to play a man wrongly convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage against the U.S. He’s offered his freedom if he can rescue the president’s daughter from an outer space prison taken over by violent inmates. Grace’s UTA agents just closed a deal for her to play the president’s daughter. Sony has a long relationship with Besson, distributing The Professional and The Fifth Element. Shooting starts September 7.
Grace is also attached to Taken 2 and she completed the Dwayne Johnson-starrer Faster for CBS Films and stars in The Experiment for Sony.
Sky Increasing Stake in Shine to 20%
BSkyB is lifting its stake in the UK’
Producer Jamie Tarses Re-Ups At Sony TV
EXCLUSIVE: Jamie Tarses is staying at Sony Pictures Television with a new two-year overall deal. Tarses is among the studio’