“'Zombieland' slays with $24.7 million weekend - Star-ecentral.com” plus 4 more

'Zombieland' slays with $24.7 million weekend - Star-ecentral.com
Disney, Universal name new studio chiefs - Yahoo News
Shakeup At Universal Pictures - Forbes
Bahamas jurors see secret tape at Travolta trial - Detroit Free Press
MySpace names its first chief financial officer - Zd Net Asia.com

'Zombieland' slays with $24.7 million weekend - Star-ecentral.com

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 05:43 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (AP): The living dead led the weekend box office as Woody Harrelson's horror comedy "Zombieland" debuted at No. 1 with $24.7 million.

After two weekends in first-place, the animated hit "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" was a strong No. 2 with $15.8 million.

Among other top-10 entries: the double-feature reissue of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" in 3-D versions came in at No. 3 with $12.5 million; Ricky Gervais' comedy "The Invention of Lying" debuted at No. 5 with $7 million; Drew Barrymore's roller-derby tale "Whip It" opened at No. 6 with $4.7 million; and Michael Moore's documentary "Capitalism: A Love Story" finished at No. 8 with $4.4 million in its first weekend of nationwide release.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "Zombieland," Sony, $24,733,155, 3,036 locations, $8,147 average, $24,733,155, one week.

2. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," Sony, $15,809,039, 2,977 locations, $5,310 average, $81,501,320, three weeks.

3. "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" in 3-D, Disney, $12,491,789, 1,745 locations, $7,159 average, $12,491,789, one week.

4. "Surrogates," Disney, $7,241,054, 2,951 locations, $2,454 average, $26,284,134, two weeks.

5. "The Invention of Lying," Warner Bros., $7,027,472, 1,707 locations, $4,117 average, $7,027,472, one week.

6. "Whip It," Fox Searchlight, $4,650,812, 1,721 locations, $2,702 average, $4,650,812, one week.

7. "Fame," MGM, $4,626,952, 3,133 locations, $1,477 average, $16,507,188, two weeks.

8. "Capitalism: A Love Story," Overture, $4,447,378, 962 locations, $4,623 average, $4,849,067, two weeks.

9. "The Informant!", Warner Bros., $3,689,235, 2,425 locations, $1,521 average, $26,469,331, three weeks.

10. "Love Happens," Universal, $2,749,025, 1,922 locations, $1,430 average, $18,882,080, three weeks.

11. "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself," Lionsgate, $2,599,720, 1,560 locations, $1,666 average, $48,284,523, four weeks.

12. "Pandorum," Overture, $1,979,061, 2,506 locations, $790 average, $7,874,841, two weeks.

13. "Inglourious Basterds," Weinstein Co., $1,419,256, 1,331 locations, $1,066 average, $116,894,138, seven weeks.

14. "9," Focus, $1,398,401, 1,598 locations, $875 average, $29,441,230, four weeks.

15. "Jennifer's Body," Fox, $1,251,643, 1,642 locations, $762 average, $14,777,403, three weeks.

16. "All About Steve," Fox, $1,145,890, 1,427 locations, $803 average, $31,747,303, five weeks.

17. "Bright Star," Apparition, $716,096, 317 locations, $2,259 average, $1,936,829, three weeks.

18. "Julie & Julia," Sony, $687,252, 782 locations, $879 average, $91,845,115, nine weeks.

19. "The Hangover," Warner Bros., $552,565, 517 locations, $1,069 average, $275,156,197, 18 weeks.

20. "Paranormal Activity," Paramount, $532,242, 33 locations, $16,129 average, $776,763, two weeks.

Disney, Universal name new studio chiefs - Yahoo News

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 11:48 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Walt Disney Co and Universal studios unveiled changes at the top on Monday, as Hollywood's worst-performing major houses try to turn things around in a potentially record year at the box office.

Disney on Monday said it had replaced popular studio chairman Dick Cook, who shocked the industry with his departure about two weeks ago, with Rich Ross: a newcomer to film who as Disney Channels Worldwide chairman steered powerhouse franchises like "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical."

Universal Pictures replaced Chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde with its film marketing and production chiefs, after a string of box office flops including Will Ferrell's big-budget comedy "Land of the Lost".

The move at Universal comes as ultimate parent General Electric prepares to try and sell entertainment giant NBC Universal. According to sources, GE is in talks to buy out partner Vivendi and sell a majority slice of NBC Universal to Comcast.

Universal and Disney have posted the poorest performances this year among major U.S. studios, outshone by the likes of Sony Pictures and Time Warner Inc's Warner Bros. That's despite analysts' predictions that 2009 would be a third straight record year for the domestic box office.

Effective immediately, Ross -- who experts say shares Cook's flair for personal dealings, but is a stranger to the hyper-competitive movie business -- will manage all film labels including Walt Disney, Touchstone, Miramax and Disney/Pixar.

He also will take on the integration of superhero franchise juggernaut Marvel Entertainment, which Disney in August said it would buy for $4 billion.

Larry Gerbrandt, principal at Media Valuation Partners, said appointing Ross to head its movie studio signaled a need for someone who can coordinate between different divisions.

While Ross has little experience making movies, he turned the Disney Channel into the top-rated kids' cable network with successful franchises like "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical" that morphed into consumer products, movies and theme park attractions, spurring billions in worldwide sales.

"This strikes me as more of a corporate job than necessarily a creative or green-lighting job," Gerbrandt said. "I don't necessarily see him green-lighting (approving) Pixar or Marvel movies, at least not initially."

"You're going to see Pixar and Marvel being the primary drivers of production."

TROUBLE IN THE MOUSE HOUSE?

Box office revenue in the United States and Canada hit highs in 2007 and 2008, according to the National Association of Theater Owners, and appear headed for a third record.

But Disney counts just Disney-Pixar's "Up" and Touchstone's "The Proposal" as bona fide hits this year. It now commands just 11.7 percent of box office market share and Universal 8.6 percent, according to industry tracker Box Office Mojo.

Cook, who steered hits like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Chronicles of Narnia", told staff at his abrupt September 18 departure that he felt "like a square peg in a round hole".

The studio division suffered in recent quarters from rising costs, a downturn in DVD sales and a slate of poor performers like "Bolt" and "Bedtime Stories". Cook's reluctance to embrace Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger's call for more cross-pollination to work across business units also was reportedly a factor.

Disney got about 19 percent of revenues from its movie studios in fiscal 2008. But Cowen and Co analyst Doug Creutz estimated the studio division would account for about 16 percent of revenue in the September quarter.

Universal performed even worse at the box office.

In recent months, it has churned out box office disappointments "Funny People," "Love Happens" and "Land of the Lost," a big-budget comedy that made only $62 million at worldwide box offices. Its sole, bona fide smash hit was the fourth installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise.

Universal's marketing head Adam Fogelson will now serve as chairman of the movie studio, and film production president Donna Langley will be co-chairman, reporting to Fogelson, Universal said in a statement.

Fogelson, who has been with the company since 1998, has served as president of marketing and distribution at Universal since October 2007.

Langley has served as president of production at the company since 2005, and Universal said that during that time she has been responsible for 14 films that have each made more than $100 million in the United States and Canada.

Shares of Disney closed up 1.7 percent at $27.67, and shares of GE closed up 3 percent at $15.83 on Monday.

(Editing by Edwin Chan and Carol Bishopric)

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Shakeup At Universal Pictures - Forbes

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 04:31 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES -- Rumors have been flying for months that chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde were on the verge of being fired at Universal Pictures. Now it's official. Adam Fogelson will be taking over as chairman of Universal Pictures, Donna Langley was named co-chair and Rick Finkelstein will serve as chief operating officer.

It's been a disastrous year for the studio, which is owned by General Electric ( GE - news - people ). Universal is the sixth highest-grossing studio at the box office so far this year, putting it behind every other major studio and just ahead of Lionsgate, according to Box Office Mojo.

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Universal's highest-grossing film of the year so far has been Fast & Furious, which earned $343 million at the worldwide box office. Aside from that there have been several bombs. Will Ferrell's Land of the Lost, which cost an estimated $100 million to produce, earned only $62 million. Bruno did worse than Sacha Baron Cohen's previous film, Borat, and Universal produced Judd Apatow's first box office disappointment, Funny People. With an estimated budget of $75 million (high for an Apatow film) the movie only earned $60 million.

On top of that, Universal is lacking the kind of franchises that studios rely on today for successful blockbusters. That's why Disney ( DIS - news - people ) just spent $4 billion to buy Marvel. Sony ( SNE - news - people ) has Spider-Man. Paramount has Transformers and Iron Man (for now), while Warner Brothers has Batman and Harry Potter. Universal's best bet is The Bourne Identity.

Fogelson is a well-liked executive in Hollywood. He previously served as head of marketing at Universal so he's sure to come to the top job with a keen eye for what audiences want. Many are hoping Fogelson can help mend the internal rifts that had developed at the studio under Shmuger and Linde.

Langley was previously president of production, and Finkelstein was vice chairman of Universal Pictures.

Shmuger and Linde ran the studio for three and a half years. This is the fourth major studio shakeup this year. Recently Disney ousted longtime studio head Dick Cook.

There are questions about how long the team might serve in their new positions. GE is rumored to be spinning off NBC Universal into a joint venture with Comcast ( CMCSA - news - people ) that would give the cable giant control of Universal, including the film studio. If the deal goes through, Comcast might decide that what the studio really needs is some fresh blood from the outside.

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Bahamas jurors see secret tape at Travolta trial - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 06 Oct 2009 12:17 AM PDT

A jury on Monday watched a hidden-camera videotape of negotiations between a lawyer for John Travolta and a former Bahamas senator accused of trying to blackmail the movie star.

The tape shows politician Pleasant Bridgewater telling Travolta's lawyer that a paramedic who treated the actor's son wants at least $20 million not to release a private document to the media.

Bridgewater and ambulance driver Tarino Lightbourne have pleaded not guilty to extortion charges at the trial, which began Sept. 21.

Lightbourne came to Travolta's vacation home on Grand Bahama island when the actor's 16-year-old son Jett suffered a seizure on Jan. 2. He later allegedly threatened to make public a release that Travolta signed to have Jett taken directly to the airport, even though the youth ultimately died at a local hospital and the document never came into play.

Bahamas police set up hidden cameras at a hotel room to capture Bridgewater's meeting Jan. 19 with Travolta attorney Michael McDermott.

On the tape, Bridgewater places a phone call apparently to Lightbourne and says the lawyer is prepared to offer $250,000. She then tells the attorney that Lightbourne responded: "My mortgage is more than that."

"It's obvious that you can't handle this deal. I can't do it for $250,000. Just tell me when I can come and get my document from you," Bridgewater quotes Lightbourne as saying.

Prosecutors say the two defendants agreed to accept $10 million in installments over a four-year period before they were arrested.

On a second tape shown to jurors, recorded Jan. 20 at McDermott's hotel room, the lawyer says to Lightbourne, "You know what we're both doing here is a criminal offense?"

"Yes," replies Lightbourne, seated across the table.

The second video also shows the paramedic saying he intends to give the money to charity.

"I was poor all my life, you know? Me and my family, we were struggling all our life," Lightbourne says. "I wanted to do things for charity."

A defense attorney for Bridgewater, Murrio Ducille, sought to portray McDermott as a "devious and cunning" lawyer who intended to entrap his client. Ducille has accused McDermott of having "evil in his heart."

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MySpace names its first chief financial officer - Zd Net Asia.com

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 10:51 PM PDT

By Caroline McCarthy
Tuesday, October 06 2009 12:01 PM
URL: http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62058350,00.htm

Hot on the heels of its appointment of a chief technology officer last week, News Corp.'s MySpace on Monday announced that Mark Rosenbaum has been hired as its chief financial officer.

Although the appointment marks the first time that the social network has had a CFO, it is Rosenbaum's second stint at News Corp. He headed up financial operations at Gemstar-TV Guide International, when it was owned by the Rupert Murdoch-helmed conglomerate. More recently, Rosenbaum served as a consultant to MGM.

In his new position, Rosenbaum report directly to Owen Van Natta, the former Facebook executive who became MySpace's CEO in April, after the departure of co-founder Chris DeWolfe.

Less than two months after Van Natta's hiring, MySpace announced a layoff of nearly 30 percent amid stagnant growth and what was increasingly a losing battle against Facebook in its quest for social-networking dominance. The company called its aim at financial efficiency a "return to start-up culture".

Hiring a chief financial officer is, as a result, a logical step.

"Having led companies at every stage of their development, Mark understands both start-up culture and mature businesses, and is well-suited to guide MySpace's financial organization through its next phase of growth," Van Natta said in a release announcing Rosenbaum's hire. "We're thrilled to add someone with his pedigree and experience to the team."

This article was first published as a blog post on CNET News.