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Category: Hollywood News

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HPC News Hollywood News

Tenant Spotlight with Courtney Solomon

We chatted with Courtney Solomon of After Dark Films at HPC in Hollywood.
We chatted with Courtney Solomon of After Dark Films at HPC in Hollywood.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Courtney Solomon of After Dark Films and Cinelou Films from our Hollywood Production Center location…

Hi Courtney, tell us about yourself.

I am a producer, writer and director.

 

What does After Dark Films and Cinelou Films do, and how did it get established?

I started my first production company in 1995 called Sweetpea Entertainment. In 2000 Sweetpea released DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, which I produced and directed. Then in 2005 myself and Allan Zeman founded the production company, After Dark Films. I wrote and directed our first release, AN AMERICAN HAUNTING, starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland.

My other company and new business venture is called Cinelou Films, which my partner, Mark Canton and I started this year. We completed our first film, CAKE, earlier this year starring Jennifer Aniston and we are excited to announce that it will have its world premiere in Toronto at the Toronto Film Festival next month.

 

Please describe the industry you’re in.

The industry I am in is very interesting and fast paced. We take scripts that we get from reputable agencies and package them from the ground up. Sometimes they may come to us with a director or A-list star already attached and then we start casting other roles, we start looking at the budget, where we can shoot it, when we can start, etc.

 

How did you get to where you are now?

I work really hard and succeeding is a promise I made to myself. I’m extremely passionate about what I do and I love filmmaking.  I love directing, it will always be a love of mine. And when I’m producing, I’m still a filmmaker. I’m always on set and hand-ons with the director and crew, as well as the cast.

 

How did you get involved with the entertainment industry?

My mom, Fran Solomon, was in the business in Toronto. I grew up on movie sets and truly loved the world of filmmaking.

 

What other films have you worked on in the past?

Directed  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, GETAWAY, wrote and directed AN AMERICAN HAUNTING.

 

You have accomplished so much in your career, what makes you so driven to succeed?

I just think it’s either within somebody or not within somebody, that’s a personal choice.

 

If there is one person to thank for your success who would it be and why?

My mother, Fran Solomon.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Filmmaking / directing.  I also love seeing the final product after putting so much time and energy into it. It’s a great feeling.

 

What’s in the future for After Dark Films and Cinelou Films?

Cinelou Films is my main focus now. After our first film, CAKE, premieres in Toronto, we will get ready to move forward and start production on our next film, an Iraq war drama called YELLOW BIRDS starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Tye Sheridan and Will Poulter. We are in talks on a few other wonderful projects that I am very excited about and will be able to share soon

 

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to interview with us, Courtney!

 

Categories
HPC News Hollywood News Music/Concerts

Tenant Spotlight with Marrsha Sill

Chicago Music Library's Executive Marrsha Sill.
We chatted with Chicago Music Library’s Executive Vice President, Marrsha Sill.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Marrsha Sill of Chicago Music Library from our Hollywood Production Center location…

Marrsha Sill is the Executive Vice President at Chicago Music Library. Marrsha Sill began her music library career as an Account Executive at APM Music, where she spent many years becoming an expert at promoting and growing APM’s business in the areas of film, television and advertising. Then became Vice President of Film and TV Music at Megatrax and Opus 1 music Library. Marrsha is now a proud member of the “Chicago Music Library” team where she retains her outstanding industry-wide reputation for “representing the artists.”

Marrsha, how did Chicago Music Library (CML) come about?

The Chicago Music Library was the dream child of Robert J. Walsh (veteran film composer and creator of the Hollywood Film Music Library) and James E. Moore (Venture Capitalist and Entrepreneur). On a flight back from Chicago to LA, both decided that there was a future for a new boutique online music catalog with unique, pristine content. They then were very fortunate to find the multi-talented Nicholas Castelli (VP – Operations), Marrsha Sill (Executive VP), Jason Jamison (Sales Manager), and Renee Dawes (Creative Manager). And POW! a diverse and talented team was born!

How is Chicago Music Library making its mark in the entertainment industry?

Look, we know music is everywhere so we must separate ourselves by being known as a reliable resource and service – focusing on providing the best content efficiently and affordably, no email goes unanswered. If we have what you’re looking for you will get it ASAP, usually within the hour, and if not we can create it on spec, and done with a smile.

Who is your typical client and how are most of their licenses used?

Our typical client is a studio music exec/creative and/or an independent music supervisor, independent filmmaker, or online content creator, who use “Trusted Sources” such as CML to acquire the music that they need for their production. Some clients score their entire production with library music, or a variation of custom and library music. And some peeps use us for everything the composer does not do (needle drops).

Any notable movies or shows?

Well, over the years we’ve had hundreds of placements, however, some recent feature films would be The Butler, Runner Runner and Paranormal Activity 5. Further, we’ve had several placements on TV such as, ABC’s Revenge and Warner Brothers’ Shameless, and several placements in Sony’s shows Justified and Community, to name a few.

Your company was founded in 2011. What key changes have you seen the industry take since then?

Wow, well since 2011 we just like all industries have felt the economic changes, everything from decreased budgets to music sources giving away music for free. Most notably would be the increased requests for indie bands by music creatives and, subsequently, the demand for independent music libraries such as CML to carry this content. In essence we are becoming the new record industry!

What’s in the future for Chicago Music Library?

The Chicago Music Library is constantly growing and innovating – offering it’s diverse catalogs at moderate industry rates in many unique ways; constantly featuring new catalog expansion, and the best possible service to our clients in the Film, Television, Advertising, and Online world. Most importantly, we feel it is our duty to educate others and take the lead in moving the industry forward. We are constantly on social media engaging with others and have actually just launched our Face the Music Blog Series (#FTMBS) on our website, where we will offer unique industry insights and news.

The Chicago Music Library team would like to extend a neighborly offer to all HPC tenants, which includes 25% off all annual and per project blankets!

 

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to interview with us, Marrsha!

Categories
Movies/Television Hollywood News

Summer Movies Lineup

We see summer in the horizon, but what is summer without those top blockbuster movies? Los Angeles is no stranger to good weather, but when we’re not busy catching rays, you’ll find us in the theaters playing critic to some of the best summer films. Last summer was topped by Iron Man 3, and this summer is sure to not disappoint. So what do you have to look forward to?

We already saw the official kickoff to summer blockbusters with The Amazing-Spiderman 2 early this month, Godzilla last week, and we’ll be seeing X-Men: Days of Future Past release this weekend. What’s a huge movie franchise without Disney’s remake of the Sleeping Beauty story we all know and love with Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent to hit theaters May 30.

June will be faring well with DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train a Dragon 2 expected to be a hit. To close out the month, Transformers: Age of Extinction (that’s the 4th installment of the franchise in case you lost count, and no, there’s no Shia LaBeouf) will premiere on June 27.

July will bring in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel to 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes. What are we personally excited about in July? The Purge: Anarchy. The original 2013 The Purge was so intriguing that we just can’t wait for more.

By August we’re all sad to be seeing those perfect summer months come and gone, but we still have those films to look forward to. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is expected to do well, as well as the childhood favorite, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

See Box Office Mojo’s predictions for this summer’s hits.

Categories
HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

Tenant Spotlight with Bryan Grant

Brant Grant is the CEO and Creative

We had the opportunity to catch up with Bryan Grant of Bryan Grant Studios from our Hollywood Production Center location…

Bryan Grant is the founder and Executive Creative Director of Bryan Grant Studios. BGS is globally recognized for their work in broadcast, theatrical and digital Motion Graphics, Branding & 3D Animation. With over 20 years’ experience they’ve had the fortune of working with clients across the country including leading networks, studios, agencies, celebrities, & producers like David Copperfield, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Universal Pictures, HBO, Nike, JWT, DDBO, Lexus & T-Mobile to name just a few. The full list can be found at bryangrantstudios.com. The studio’s work can be screened HERE.

Tell us a little about yourself, Bryan?
I went to Seaholm High school in Birmingham, MI & Columbia College in Chicago, IL. I studied film production and had the fortune of working with some incredible DP’s and film directors. In high school I was asked to teach the television production class, which was wild because a lot of my friends were my “students”. I later taught an animation course in college to help pay for my schooling. Most notably, I’ll never turn down some incredible BBQ.

How did you get started in the entertainment industry?
It’s funny.  I started at 14 when I opened my own video production company in Birmingham, MI. We became the #1 video production company for weddings & bar mitzvah one year later. I feel blessed to have always known what I wanted to do at a very early age.  Many years later after moving to Los Angeles my first client through BGS was Disney where we helped them animate one of their largest entertainment properties at the time.

Do you enjoy what you do?
I love what I do!  I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I especially love what happens when we combine the latest technology in VFX & 3D with our creative vision to help produce one-of-a-kind creative for our clients.

Who would you say is your biggest client that you were you like, “whoa!”
I would say David Copperfield.  He was an idol of mine growing up.  In fact I would tape all of his television specials every year and watch them a million times over.  So when he approached me later in my adult life it was totally surreal and an amazing experience. I was tasked to brand his new production company Red Safe.  The branding premiered in Variety magazine 2 months later and we couldn’t be happier.

Where do you see the future for BGS?
It’s important for me to promote the company’s core values, which are integrity, loyalty and accountability. Our client’s value that along with our strong creative output.  I see BGS growing into one of the most influential design and animation studio in Los Angeles within 2 years.  Staying humble, innovative and inspiring will get us there.

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to sit down with us, Bryan!

Categories
Movies/Television Hollywood News

FX’s ‘The Americans’ Will See a Third Season

FX’s popular series The Americans has been renewed for a third season. The show is currently half way through its second season, and it has received a 13-episode season renewal by FX Networks.

The Americans first premiered in January 2013, and has since seen a successful run. The television show continued its second season in February 2014, and is now planning its 3rd season in 2015. The Americans stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as husband and wife, and Noah Emmerich as an FBI agent.

The Americans takes place in 1981 just after the election of President Ronald Reagan. The show follows a married couple’s complicated lives of juggling a normal suburban family, but with the added difficulty of being KGB spies. The series was created and executive produced by Joe Weisberg, a former CIA agent himself.

See the full story at Deadline.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television Music/Concerts

Eminem and Rihanna to Perform at the MTV Movie Awards

The MTV Movie Awards are taking place this Sunday, April 13, and a new performance announcement has been made today: we can expect an unforgettable performance by Eminem and Rihanna this year. The duo is about to head out for their co-headlining summer stadium tour to take place in August, but before then, they will be making a stop at MTV. The frequent collaborators will be making their first televised performance of their single, “The Monster.” The night will also include fantastic performances by Ellie Goulding, Zedd and Twenty One Pilots. Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum will also be making an appearance to accept their awards, the Generation Award and the Trailblazer Award, respectively.

Eminem and Rihanna are no strangers to collaborating on hits together, some of which have included “Love the Way You Lie” and “Numb.” The duo’s six-date concert tour titled The Monster Tour will hit three cities in August, starting in LA. The tour will move on from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to East Rutherford, NJ, and then come to an end in Detroit, MI.

The MTV Movie Awards will be hosted by Conan O’Brien live from the Nokia Theater at L.A. Live on Sunday, April 13 at 9PM.

See full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

 

Categories
Movies/Television Music/Concerts Uncategorized Hollywood News

Pharrell Williams the Newest Coach on ‘The Voice’

The Voice is well into its 6th season, but we’ll be seeing a new face for the 7th season. It has been announced that Pharrell Williams will be taking Cee Lo Green’s spot as a coach for the new season of The Voice. Cee Lo Green announced his departure from the show in February, and has since been covered by Usher and Shakira.

Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green were the original coaching panel when the show started in 2011, and they continued to be the face of The Voice through season 3. For season 4, Christina and Cee Lo took a hiatus from the show, in which Shakira and Usher filled their spots. While season 5 had the original 4 coaches reinstated, season 6 is back with Adam, Blake, Shakira and Usher. Pharrell is the only confirmed coach for the 7th season of NBC’s The Voice.

Pharrell Williams will make a great addition to The Voice team, as they have in the past had the biggest and most current musical talent as coaches. Pharrell made quite a name for himself with the Despicable Me franchise soundtracks, and his 2014 Oscar performance of his Oscar nominated song ‘Happy.’ Pharrell made a guest appearance in the 4th season of the show, as a guest mentor for Usher and his team.

See full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

2014 Oscar Winners Recap

Last night's Oscars was a Hollywood spectacle that drew in many.
Last night’s Oscars was a Hollywood spectacle filled with emotions.

The Oscars took place last night in Hollywood, and boy was it filled with gorgeous dresses, Twitter selfies and heartfelt acceptance speeches. Ellen DeGeneres seemed to be an audience favorite as she hosted The Academy Awards ceremony for the second time, her first time being in 2007. Hollywood’s biggest event brought in millions of viewers, 43 million to be exact, up from last year’s telecast. There was a lot going on during the live ceremony, so here is listed some of the notable winners.

First, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, took home the most Oscars for the night, with 7 in total.

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Achievement in Directing: Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron
Original Screenplay: Her, Spike Jonze
Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave, John Ridley
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Animated Feature: Frozen

See full list of winners at The Hollywood Reporter.

Categories
Hollywood News Movies/Television

‘Heroes’ Coming Back to NBC

NBC will be bringing back an old favorite, 'Heroes', with a 'Heroes Reborn' in 2015.
NBC will be bringing back an old favorite, ‘Heroes’, with ‘Heroes Reborn’ in 2015.

Have you missed NBC’s Heroes since it ended in 2010? The superhero drama starring Hayden Panettiere kick started the superhero genre in television back in 2006, and it will now be making a reappearance. Original Heroes fans will be happy to hear that NBC has decided to bring back the show for a 13-episode event series to air in 2015. The new show will be titled Heroes Reborn and will be a stand-alone story. The characters have still not been announced, but fans should look forward to this because the original series creator Tim Kring will be leading this project as well.

Heroes was cancelled four years ago, but it was a huge hit at the time with its first season premiering to an average of 14.5 million viewers. With declining ratings, broadcast networks are turning to past series and brands to grab the attention of the old fan base. While Heroes was one of the first in the television superhero genre, there has since been, and continue to be, many others. Depending on which shows get renewed or greenlit by the 2015 season, Heroes Reborn could be looking at competition with The CW’s Arrow and its new spin-off Flash, Fox’s Batman prequel Gotham and ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

See full story at Entertainment Weekly.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television Celebrity News

Charlie Cox in CBS’ Wall Street Pilot

Charlie Cox will be starring in CBS' new untitled pilot.
Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox will be starring in CBS’ new untitled pilot.

Charlie Cox will be taking the lead role in CBS’ upcoming untitled television show. The Boardwalk Empire alum will be returning to CBS in a pilot described as a “Wall Street drama” from executive producer John Cusack. The drama will take place in the world of Wall Street, which includes money and power. Cox will be starring as Jackson, an inherently good Wall Street hedge fund trader who has returned from service in Iraq. The story was written by Justified writers Taylor Elmore and Ben Cavell, and was based on an idea created with the aid of Elmore, Cavell, Cusack and Kevin McCabe. The pilot will be executive produced by Justified’s Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly.

Charlie Cox is no stranger to CBS as he starred in last season’s pilot The Ordained. Cox is also a veteran of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, in which he starred in for two seasons. In addition, his long resume includes Stardust, Moby Dick and Hello Carter.

CBS has a great lineup of drama pilots for this new season. We can expect Extant and Battle Creek, which have both already received direct to series orders for this summer. Other dramas include Madame Secretary, Scorpion, and CSI and NCIS spinoffs.

See full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television Celebrity News

Oscar Nominees Luncheon

The 36th Oscar nominee luncheon took place on Monday.
The 36th Oscar nominee luncheon took place on Monday.

Oscar nominees gathered together on Monday for a luncheon hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors. The 33rd annual Oscar nominees luncheon took place in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton and saw celebrities like Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock and Spike Jonze. The vast majority of 2013 Oscar nominees were in attendance, and the stars all came together to pose for a “class photo” before collecting their nominee certificate and a gift bag. Yes, even celebrities like getting swag bags, and theirs included an “Oscar Nominee” sweatshirt.

Neil Meron and Craig Zadan will be producing the Oscars telecast for the second year in a row, and they took some time during the event to congratulate Ellen DeGeneres for returning as host (she hosted for the first time in 2007) and to remind nominees that if they win the award, they only have 45 seconds to give their speech. They also shared that the theme for the night will be “movie heroes,” which isn’t limited to only onscreen, and will be acknowledge those behind the scenes as well.

The 86th Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 2.

Read the full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Celebrity News Hollywood News Movies/Television

Lena Dunham Revealed her New Book Cover on Instagram

Lena Dunham revealed the cover of her new book Girl via Instagram today.
Lena Dunham revealed the cover of her new book ‘Not That Kind of Girl’ via Instagram today.

Lena Dunham has made waves with her controversial, yet relatable television series Girls, which she executive produces and stars in, and now she has revealed the cover of her upcoming book, Not That Kind of Girl. Dunham instagrammed a mockup of the book’s cover today, which reminds us of retro book covers from the past. The 27 year old captioned the Instagram photo with “It’s official. Coming 10/7/14,” so you can pick up your very own copy on October 7th. The official description of Not That Kind of Girl from Dunham herself includes a line that states “…This book contains stories about wonderful nights with terrible boys and terrible days with wonderful friends, about ambition and the two existential crises I had before the age of twenty…” Will you be picking up a copy come this fall?

Lena Dunham became a memorable actress for her role in Girls as Hannah, an aspiring writer in her mid-twenties trying to survive friendships and boys in New York City. As both the main character and the executive producer for the show, Dunham has received a lot of news coverage, which tries to dissect the harsh, yet realistic world of her female generation. The show airs on HBO and is currently on its 3rd season, which started in January. The series has already been renewed for a 4th season, and is set to air in 2015.

Read full story at Entertainment Weekly.

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Hollywood News HPC News

Tenant Spotlight with Jonathan Skogmo

Jonathan Skogmo is the CEO of Jukin' Media Inc.
Jonathan Skogmo is the founder and CEO of Jukin’ Media Inc.

Jonathan Skogmo is the founder and CEO of Jukin’ Media Inc. Their content has been seen on Bravo, MTV, and FOX, among other networks. Fans love the popular video “Husky Says No To Kennel,” which depicts a beautiful defiant husky laying down and literally saying “No!” to his masters at every command (watch here). Jon is currently a tenant at our flagship location in Hollywood, and we’re so proud to have witnessed his success and growth.  We recently caught up with Jonathan to learn what Jukin’ Media Inc. is all about and his vision for his company’s future…

Jon, please describe the industry you’re in.
We’re in the digital media industry. And, more specifically, our focus is on-line video.

How would you describe your company in one sentence?
We reward viral-style video creators by monetizing their video content and bringing it to a larger audience.

Your company was founded in 2009. What key changes have you seen take place in the industry since then?
The industry is moving so fast that the changes from year to year are immense, let alone a five-year span. One thing that’s definitely changed is that on-line video consumption has exploded!  Viewership continues to rise and brands and advertisers are shifting serious ad dollars into digital media.
What’s in the future for Jukin’ Media?
Bigger rewards for our members. We are developing new business relationships and strategic partnerships that will be an enormous boost to our member community. Our list of media partners continues to grow, so our members are seeing their videos on more and more media outlets, TV shows, and ad campaigns.

Categories
Hollywood News Movies/Television

Nominees for the DGA Awards

Gravity's Alfonso Cuaron received a nomination today for the DGA Awards.
Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron received a nomination today for the DGA Awards.

The Directors Guild of America announced its nominees for its feature film awards today. Three of the picks are first time nominees, which include Captain Phillip’s Paul Greengrass, Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron and 12 Years a Slave’s Steve McQueen. David O. Russell, nominated for American Hustle, previously received a nomination for 2010’s The Fighter, and The Wolf of Wall Street’s Martin Scorsese, a DGA Award winner for 2006’s The Departed, also received a nomination this year.

The nominees in the television and commercials categories are set to be announced on Thursday, while the documentary nominees will be known on Monday. The winners will all be announced at the 66th Annual DGA Awards, which will take place on Saturday, January 25th. Jane Lynch is set to host the award show at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Other special awards will be given out at the ceremony, including the guild’s diversity award, which will be presented to Shondaland’s Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Lee Blaine will be receiving The Frank Capra Achievement Award, which is given to assistant directors or unit production managers in recognition of career achievement and service to the DGA. The Franklin J. Schaffner Award recognizes an associate director or stage manager for their career achievements and service to the DGA, and this year the honoree is Vince DeDario.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Sandman’

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to star and direct in an adaptation of Virtigo's 'Sandman' comic series.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to star and direct in an adaptation of Vertigo’s ‘Sandman’ comic series.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and David Goyer have teamed up to bring you Sandman, the popular Vertigo comic for Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment. Goyer already wrote the treatment and is set to supervise the writing, while Gordon-Levitt will be starring in the project as well as directing. Neil Gaiman, the original writer of this comic series, will be joining the crew as an executive producer.

The Sandman comic series is based on Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming. The story is based in horror, but shifts into fantasy and mythology as Morpheus unfolds as a deity personifying dreams. The book has won several awards and has contributed to DC’s Vertigo’s success.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has some experience with comic book adaptions, having starred in The Dark Knight Rises and the soon to be released Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

 

Categories
Hollywood News Movies/Television Celebrity News

Legendary Actress Joan Fontaine Passes Away

The Oscar-winning Joan Fontaine died of natural causes in her Carmel, California home at the age of 96.
The Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine died of natural causes in her Carmel, California home at the age of 96.

The legendary actress Joan Fontaine passed away at the age of 96. The Oscar-winning actress reached her high level of stardom in the early 1940s in Alfred Hitchcock’s movies Suspicion and Rebecca. She died of natural causes Sunday, December 15 at her Carmel, California home.

Joan won an Oscar for best actress in Suspicion, and was the only actor to win an Oscar in an Alfred Hitchcock film. She also received 3 best actress nominations a few years later for her role in the 1943 film The Constant Nymph. Her other notable appearances include Jane Eyre (1944), September Affair (1950), Ivanhoe (1952), and Island in the Sun (1957).

Beyond a talented actress, Joan dabbled in interior decorating, as well as getting her pilot license and becoming a Cordon Bleu-level chef. The stunning actress was married and divorced four times. In the 1940s, she and her husband at the time, William Dozier formed Rampart Productions, which created works such as her 1948 film Letter From an Unknown Woman and Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948) with Burt Lancaster.

Joan’s older sister Olivia de Havilland, an accomplished actress as well, is 97 years old and currently resides in Paris.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

Categories
Hollywood News Movies/Television

Golden Globe Nominations to be Announced

Olivia Wilde, Aziz Ansari and Zoe Saldana will be announcing the 71st Annual Golden Globe nominees live on Thursday, December 12.
Olivia Wilde, Aziz Ansari and Zoe Saldana will be announcing the 71st Annual Golden Globe nominations live on Thursday, December 12.

It seems like award season is in full swing now, and the Golden Globes will be joining the ranks. Aziz Ansari, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde will be joining Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Theo Kingma to announce the 71st Annual Golden Globe Award nominees this week. Kevin Bacon’s daughter, and newly crowned Miss Golden Globes 2014, Sosie Bacon will be joining the announcers. The nomination announcement will take place on Thursday, December 12 airing live on NBC’s Today show and streaming on GoldenGlobes.com. Nominations will span across 25 categories for film and television, both domestic and foreign.

The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards is set to air live on Sunday, January 12, 2014. Audience favorites Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will be hosting the awards ceremony for the second year in a row. The award show is seen in over 160 countries, and last year they had nearly 20 million people tune in. The show is produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

View full story at GoldenGlobe.com

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

AFI names 10 best movies, TV shows of 2013

'The Good Wife' is one of ten television shows picked for the AFI Award.
‘The Good Wife’ is one of ten television shows picked this year for an AFI Award.

With December quickly coming to an end, The American Film Institute has announced its pick of top 10 films and 10 television shows of 2013. AFI reveals its nominees each year of movies and shows that “best advance the art of the moving image, enhance the rich cultural heritage of America’s art form, inspire audiences and artists alike and/or make a mark on American society.” The American Film Institute presents the AFI Awards each year, which are carefully selected by a jury of AFI members, scholars, film and television artists, critics and AFI Trustees.

Below are this year’s top picks (in alphabetical order):

Film
1. American Hustle
2. Captain Phillips
3. Fruitvale Station
4. Gravity
5. Her
6. Inside Llewyn Davis
7. Nebraska
8. Saving Mr. Banks
9. 12 Years a Slave
10. The Wolf of Wall Street

Television
1. The Americans
2. Breaking Bad
3. Game of Thrones
4. The Good Wife
5. House of Cards
6. Mad Men
7. Masters of Sex
8. Orange is the New Black
9. Scandal
10. Veep

AFI aims to appreciate the community of talented storytellers by awarding them this honor. Last year, eight of the overall nine best picture Oscar nominees made AFI’s list.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television HPC News

‘Looking’ to Premiere on HBO in January

HBO's new drama-comedy 'Looking' will premiere on Sunday, January 19, 2014.
HBO’s new drama-comedy ‘Looking’ will premiere on Sunday, January 19, 2014.

HPC News – Hollywood Production Center is once again happy announce that we have been joined by an exciting television project. Mission Street Productions has moved into the Hollywood Production Center offices, and they are currently working on a new series for HBO titled Looking. This half hour drama-comedy will follow the lives of a group of gay men living in San Francisco as they deal with dating in the digital age and growing older in the gay community. The three gay best friends will be played by Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett.

The eight-episode series was filmed in San Francisco at the start of fall. Looking was created by Michael Lannen, who is also attached as co-executive producer, and is directed by Andrew Haigh. Haigh and Sarah Condon serve as executive producers. Looking will premiere on Sunday, January 19, 2014 on HBO.

HBO’s other popular drama-comedy Girls will premiere its 3rd season January 12, 2014. Other new television shows on HBO’s schedule is True Detective and The Leftovers.

Check out the trailer for Looking here.

View full story at The Hollywood Reporter.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television HPC News

HPC Welcomes After Dark Films

After Dark Films has moved into HPC to work on their latest project, 'Re-Kill.'
After Dark Films has moved into HPC to work on their latest project, ‘Re-Kill.’

HPC News – A new tenant has moved into Hollywood Production Center, and that is After Dark Films, a horror, original and action film production company and distributor founded by Courtney Solomon. The company is currently working on a horror film called Re-Kill, which is a found-footage zombie film. The footage is of the brave men and women of R-division who must find and destroy zombies. It is five years after the initial Outbreak and just as they begin to think they are almost clear of the disease, they see signs of a second Outbreak. They begin to worry that humanity may not be able to survive a second round of this epidemic. The movie is said to be shot in a wartime documentary style, and is in the vein of 28 Days Later.

Re-Kill marks Valerie Milev’s directorial debut. The film was written by Michael Hurst, who is also credited for House of the Dead 2 and Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud.

After Dark Film’s Courtney Solomon current work includes directing the 2013 film Getaway, starring Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez and Jon Voight. Re-Kill will be a collaborative effort between After Dark Films and Valerie Milev. The project was put on pause during post-production as the teams worked on different projects, but they are expecting a theatrical release early in 2014.

View full story at IMDB.com.

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HPC News Hollywood News Movies/Television

Kevin Williamson of ‘The Following’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’

Kevin Williamson, the creator of 'The Following' and 'The Vampire Diaries' discusses the uprising trend of horror with The Hollywood Reporter.
Kevin Williamson, the creator of ‘The Following’ and ‘The Vampire Diaries’ discusses the uprising trend of horror with The Hollywood Reporter.

HPC News – The Hollywood Production Center is home to FOX’s The Following and The CW’s The Vampire Diaries, and Kevin Williamson, the creator of both shows was recently featured in The Hollywood Reporter. Williamson spoke to them about movies that have scared him the most, which he said was The Exorcist when he was a kid, and now as an adult Hostile. In discussing the uprising trend of the horror genre, Williamson talked about the recent popularity of ‘found footage’ as seen in the Paranormal Activity franchise, while the young adult demographic has seen a rise in the theme of a post-apocalyptic world. Kevin Williamson’s horror background also includes working on the Scream franchise, as well I Know What You Did Last Summer.

The Hollywood Reporter crew came to the Hollywood Production Center and filmed the entire piece in our spacious conference room. The day also included a photo shoot focusing on Williamson’s recent success with The Following. The hit serial killer drama revolves around an ex-FBI agent (played by Kevin Bacon) who tries to track down a serial killer who escaped prison and is growing a huge cult following. The Following was reordered for a second season and has put out a teaser for their new season that is expected to premiere on January 20, 2014.

Watch Kevin Williamson’s interview with The Hollywood Reporter here.
Watch The Following season 2 teaser here.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television HPC News

Xbox Entertainment’s First Unscripted Series

Xbox Entertainment's first unscripted television series will be working out of HPC.
Xbox Entertainment’s first unscripted television series will be working out of HPC.

HPC News – HPC has opened its doors to a new tenant Red Card Productions as they work on an unscripted series with Xbox Entertainment Studios, Every Street United. Each episode of Every Street United will be shot in a different country and will focus on one undiscovered local street soccer player. In a finale episode, they will feature each of the top players as they play a soccer match against each other at the ultimate soccer destination, the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

Xbox’s original programming comes as the Xbox One console was unveiled in May and they announced their Halo-based drama series was to be produced by Steven Speilberg. Just as Halo will be based off of the wildly popular video game, Every Street United finds its base off of the popularity of sporting video games. Documentary filmmaker Jonathan Hock (ESPN’s 30 For 30) is attached to direct a portion of the series, which will be executive produced by Mike Tollin and Jon Weinbach.

The reality show is expected to be shot in countries such as Spain, Holland, France Argentina, Brazil, Ghana and South Korea. The show will also be featuring a global interactive component when it eventually airs on Xbox.

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Glendale News Movies/Television Celebrity News HPC News Hollywood News

‘How to Make Love Like an Englishman’ Continues Filming

Jessica Alba and Ben McKenzie were filming for 'How to Make Love Like an Englishman' this weekend in Malibu.
Jessica Alba and Ben McKenzie were filming for ‘How to Make Love Like an Englishman’ this weekend in Malibu.

HPC News – HPC welcomes the team for How to Make Love Like an Englishman, an upcoming film starring Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba, Salma Hayek and Ben McKenzie. The movie is about a Cambridge University professor who finds a woman who is his ideal match, forcing him to reevaluate his life of hedonistic excess, which comes after he impregnates her grad student stepsister. The romantic comedy was written by Matthew Newman and will be directed by Tom Vaughan. Brosnan will star as the professor, Hayek as his love interest and Jessica Alba as the stepsister.

Production for How to Make Love Like an Englishman began earlier last month and Jessica Alba and Ben McKenzie were spotted this weekend in Malibu filming for the movie. The film takes place in Los Angeles, so the crew decided to keep filming local as they wrap up filming in early November. The project is a co-production between Palmstar Media Capital, Southpaw Entertainment, Irish Dreamtime and Envision.

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Hollywood News Celebrity News

Haunted Play Presents ‘Delusion: Masque of Mortality’

Haunted Play presents 'Delusion: something' that will be taking place through the month of October just in time for Halloween.
Haunted Play presents ‘Delusion: Masque of Mortality’ that will be taking place through the month of October just in time for Halloween.

With Halloween coming up, Los Angeles has plenty of spooky activities to take advantage of. One of them is Haunted Play, the first ever interactive horror theatre company, which returns this year with Delusion: Masque of Mortality. The story will involve a group trying to escape a plague during California’s troubled past, and attendees will be walking through an old church as they see the story unravel. This theater group allows you to be a character in a horror/suspense film, connecting with actors in an unprecedented way. You will participate in the spooky story and perform actions for the actors that will move the story along. Such interaction is unheard of in most theatre groups, and will allow you to be truly a part of the horror story.

Haunted Play has been ranked by various sources as the best haunts to be a part of in Los Angeles. In 2012, Neil Patrick Harris joined the team to help them create even more psychologically disturbing, interactive theatre experiences. This year their play will take place at the Bethany Presbyterian Church in Silver Lake.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

NBC Orders ‘Growing Ivy’ Pilot

NBC has ordered the pilot 'Growing Ivy,' which will star the mother-daughter duo Susan Sarandon and Eva.
NBC has ordered the pilot ‘Growing Ivy,’ which will star the mother-daughter duo Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Martino.

NBC has just ordered a pilot production of a comedy series starring the mother and daughter duo Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Martino. Growing Ivy is a comedy based on an original idea from Eva. The show will revolve around Ivy, a Type A personality who craves the stability she lacked in her childhood, and as a way to fix her life she invites her mother to move in with her to fix their relationship. Growing Ivy will be the third time Sarandon and Amurri play mother and daughter onscreen; they first appeared together in the 2002 The Banger Sisters and will also be seen in the upcoming indie film Mother’s Day.

Eva Amurri Martino will be writing the script alongside Will McCormack and his writing-producing partner Rashida Jones. McCormack and Jones will executive produce the comedy via Warner Brothers Television and Martino and Sarandon will be on board as co-executive producers as well. The WBTV duo came together after their work on Celeste and Jesse Forever and are preparing The Revengers for The CW, Stuck for FOX and A to Z for NBC.

The single-camera comedy project Growing Ivy has not started production yet and has not received a premiere date as of yet.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Netflix Picks up a Psychological Thriller

Todd, Blah and Blah's new psychological thriller has been picked up by Netflix as part of its original programming.
Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler’s new psychological thriller has been picked up by Netflix as part of its original programming.

Netflix is a streaming platform that has recently dived into original programming. With their shows being so well received, it is no surprise that Netflix has ordered a 13-episode psychological thriller for its next series. They have ordered the new show from Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler, the creators of Damages. The untitled new show will focus on a family of adult siblings whose past issues and secrets arise with the return of their black sheep brother. In a joint statement by the trio of co-creators, they said “the series is a tightly wound thriller that explores the complex bonds between parents and children, brothers and sisters, and the rivalries, jealousies, and betrayals at the core of every family.” The television thriller is set to start production in early 2014.

Netflix began its expansion into original programming earlier this year with Emmy-winning House of Cards, which received a two season order right from the start. This show was followed by Hemlock Grove and Orange is the New Black, which each received a season renewal after shortly after the premiere.

The three co-creators found success in their 2007 Damages, which aired on FX for three seasons before finishing off its final two on DirecTV. It received 20 Emmy nominations in its five season run.  

Categories
Hollywood News Movies/Television

The Bear is Back for ‘Ted 2’

Ted 2 is set to be released June 26, 2015. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane will be returning as the cast.
Ted 2 is set to be released June 26, 2015. Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane will be returning as the cast.

The vulgar yet lovable teddy bear is back for Ted 2. The comedy sequel is set to be released on June 26, 2015 with Seth MacFarlane returning to co-write, direct and co-star as the bear’s voice. Ted 2 is set to be released by Universal and Media Rights Capital, and Mark Wahlberg is expected to return as the bear’s childhood owner.

Ted was released in the summer of 2012 and grossed $54.4 million its opening weekend and has since grossed over $218 million domestically as of October 2013. The movie went on to become the 12th-highest-grossing film of the year and the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time. The movie starred Mark Wahlberg across from Mila Kunis and Seth MacFarlane. The movie guest starred Nora Jones and Sam J. Jones as Flash Gordon.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Syfy Follows Up with ‘Avalanche Sharks’

Syfy released the trailer to their newest shark film 'Avalanche Sharks.'
Syfy released the trailer to their newest shark film ‘Avalanche Sharks.’

We all remember when Sharknado came out this summer and all of the social media buzz it created, and Syfy has decided to take advantage of it. Syfy recently released the trailer of their latest shark-based horror film, Avalanche Sharks. This time around, the setting for the freak-shark attacks is the snow covered mountains of a small mountain town during spring break. Spring breakers come to the mountain for drunken debauchery, that is until an avalanche awakens a large prehistoric Snow Shark that starts to terrorize the mountain.

Syfy hasn’t announced a release date for Avalanche Sharks yet, but we can expect it to be soon while the shark-craze is still going. The new movie is directed by Scott Wheeler and produced by Odyssey Media and Pulser Productions.

Check out the ‘Avalanche Sharks’ trailer here.

Categories
Hollywood News Food/Drink

Mixologists Go Head to Head

The Covenant House California hosted the All-Star Mixology Competition last week in Los Angeles.
The Covenant House California hosted the All-Star Mixology Competition last week in Los Angeles. Edwin Cruz of The Spare Room in Hollywood was crowned the winner.

Los Angeles – With the popularity of cooking contests and specialty chefs going head to head in cook-offs on television, it is no surprise that the men behind the bars wanted to compete as well. Last week Covenant House California hosted an All-Star Mixology Contest in Culver City where mixologists competed to make the best drinks. Some contestants were cocktail makes at L.A. bars such as ShoreBar, Eveleigh and The Spare Room, while others were liquor brand ambassadors. Contestants competed in three rounds that increased in difficulty until only the final three contestants were left for the final round. In this round, the three mixologists were given a secret ingredient, pears, and asked to make a drink. Edwin Cruz of The Spare Room in Hollywood blew the judges away and was named the winner.

The judge panel for the event included Georgia Hardstark and Alie Ward, co-hosts of the Cooking Channel’s Tripping Out with Georgia and Alie and co-contributors to the channel’s Unique Sweets. Other judges included A-list stylist and interior designer Estee Stanley, Paramount Pictures vice president Liza Pano, and publisher and executive editor of The Tasting Panel magazineMeridithMay. The event was held in Unici Casa in Culver City.

Covenant House California operates centers in Los Angeles and Oakland, which provide housing, health benefits, education and employment help to homeless youth. Last year, Covenant House California helped over 5,000 children that are homeless due to various circumstances. The benefit event was co-sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter and ABC-7.

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Hollywood News Movies/Television

Cruella de Vil is Back

Aline Brosh McKenna will writing the script for one of Disney's newest movies 'Cruella.'
Aline Brosh McKenna will writing the script for one of Disney’s newest movies ‘Cruella.’

Cruella de Vil was made famous as the dog-fur-loving villain in the 1961 animated film 101 Dalmations and she is coming back for her very own movie. The new Disney movie Cruella will be centered around Cruella de Vil and her villainous tendencies. The news comes after the studio made Maleficent, set to release in 2014, which is based on the infamous Sleeping Beauty villain, Maleficent. Cruella will be one of Disney’s latest live-action take on one of its classic animated films. Along with Maleficent and Alice, Disney will also be remaking Cinderella, which just went into principal photography.

Aline Brosh McKenna, the writer for Cinderella has been selected to write and produce this new movie. Disney realized that no one knows Cruella de Vil better than Glenn Close who played the character in 1996 film – and returned again in 2000 for the sequel – so she will be act as executive producer for this film. McKenna may be best known for her adaption of The Devil Wears Prada. The writer just finished up the script for Annie, which she is currently casting for.

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