Seeking Volunteers for an Actorfest LA Street Team

Help Back Stage publicize Actorfest, and receive a FREE subscription and a ticket to Actorfest! You will come to the Back Stage offices on 11/1, 11:00am-5pm. We will give you a bag with postcards and you will hit the streets with a partner passing out postcards. You will go to various areas in the city and visit different parks, schools and rehearsal studios. You will be given ONE FREE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO BACKSTAGE.COM and A TICKET TO ONE PANEL at Actorfest.Interested parties please heather.gault@backstage.com with your Name, Contact, and Resume. The subject line should read "STREET TEAM."We look forward to a great event and are excited about your interested!!!

River Road joins McQueen film

River Road has come onboard to produce and finance Steve McQueen's "Twelve Years a Slave" with Plan B. Deal for Bill Pohlad's River Road to join "Slave" closed Monday. Summit will handle international sales at the American Film Market. Michael Fassbender, who toplined McQueen's "Shame," signed on for "Twelve Years a Slave" two weeks ago. McQueen will direct from a script he co-wrote with John Ridley. Chiwetel Ejiofor will also star in the true story of Solomon Northup, a NY citizen who was kidnapped in Washington in 1841 and rescued from a cotton plantation in Louisiana in 1853. Plan B's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner are set to produce the film, which is expected to start production early next year. CAA is arranging financing for the pic and representing U.S. rights. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Nets wager on sitcom vets for next season

Seasoned sitcom stars, for instance Tim Allen of Do-it-yourself now Last Guy Standing, are generating comebacks. Roseanne Barr is coming initially from off Lives cancellation of Roseannes Nuts, but a show inside the works features a good shot at NBC. Alley Hayes BelushiMcEntireKilbornBreuerNow that Tim Allen makes his TV comeback round the new comedy "Last Guy Standing," ABC and NBC want with a slew of other former broadcast-TV stars to repeat the job. Faces famous for toplining half-several hours coming back a few decades -- think Roseanne Barr, Kirstie Alley and Sean Hayes -- are attached to some proper volume of the comedy scripts mounting up for your 2012-13 TV season. They all are wanting that whatever pixie dust got spread on Allen, who assigned ABC's "Get It Done YourselfInch inside the the 19 nineties, works well with them. Recent comedy hits like "Modern Family" and "The Big Bang Theory" are giving professionals restored confidence inside the half-hour format. And thinking about the truth that comedy had extended fought on broadcast TV until recently, it's only natural the nets are adopting a couple of from the key professionals from the time the genre was going gangbusters. Script handles talent attached change from the conventional holding deals because they pair an actress getting a author and/or concept rather than placing them in later with a script that wasn't always personalized to match their voice. But like holding deals, they're largely meant and also hardwearing . talent within particular net's roof, though some pacts give them an opportunity to opt out or possibly be blocked into other scripts later in development season. "Aside from a few exceptions, there's a extended period of time there when actor-based talent deals of any type were pretty nonexistent within the art galleries and systems," mentioned UTA talent agent Mike Jelline. "As the fitness of the tv business, particularly round the comedy side, has enhanced so rapidly within the last couple years, hunger of those deals has certainly elevated." "Standing" is really a standout for ABC up to now. Since premiering March. 12 since the net's finest-rated 8 p.m. comedy premiere in seven years, the show cooled off some but continued to be strong within the second week, lowering just 9% to 10.millions of audiences and three. rating/9 participate grownups 18-49. Banking on familiar faces is probably the earliest techniques inside the programming playbook. A title getting a good history not only gives professionals some reassurance inside the always harmful TV business but helps break using the cluttered fall sked with auds seeking to get reacquainted getting an established quantity. There's however no such factor just like a sure factor. A couple of of those stars understand that perfectly thinking about the truth that they're already around the third or fourth comeback attempts. Barr, particularly, just originated from the cancellation of "Roseanne's Nuts," an unscripted series on Lifetime. But she's wanting being back on NBC with "Downwardly Mobile," a comedy from last century Fox Tv in the mobile-home park that reunites her with Eric Gilliand, professional producer of her the 19 nineties smash "Roseanne." "Mobile" features a script commitment plus penalty, creating a great shot to produce the schedule. Hayes, who began round the NBC sitcom "Will and classInch from 1998-2006, is positioned to star in the gay-nurturing comedy from "Save Me" professional producer Peter Tolan through the new the new sony Pictures Television and Universal Television. Alley, who had two different series in-front and tail finish in the the 19 nineties with "Cheers" and "Veronica's Closet," is angling for just about any third with "The Manzanis," a comedy of a brash Italian-American family that's already bought to pilot at ABC from ABC Art galleries and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. ABC may also be trying to find talent from latenight's past, with onetime "Saturday Evening Live" cast member Jim Breuer and Craig Kilborn, former host of "The Daily Show" and also the own CBS latenight series, installed on scripts which will request these phones star in and professional produce their unique comedies. ABC may also be adopting some proven players within the aughts expecting lightning striking two occasions: Jim Belushi and Reba McEntire, who spent the higher part of that decade headlining half-several hours, have put-pilot obligations for scripts. NBC may also be sinking into 2000s-era talent giving a put-pilot persistence for Portia p Rossi, most particularly of Fox's "Arrested Development." Still more talent have script deals at ABC, which has "Curb Your Enthusiasm" supporting player Rob Garlin, and NBC, which has the eponymous stars of "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central), E!'s "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood" (E!) and "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" (Cinemax). There's a smaller amount talent installed on scripts round the drama side, though a few, including Ethan Hawke and Jason Ritter, they're in mind for completely new hourlongs at NBC. CBS may also participate in the the 19 nineties revival getting guaranteed former Fox sitcom star Martin Lawrence with a holding deal that could put him to circulation next season. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Former Top Chef: Just Desserts Contestant Indicted on Child Pornography Charges

Morgan Wilson Top Chef: Just Desserts finalist Morgan Wilson was charged with child pornography possession, Pegasusnews.com reviews. Wilson, who came out inside the first season of Just Desserts, was indicted on three second-degree legal charges of possession while using intent to market child pornography. The Bravo reality star was arrested in December 2010 after undercover scientists received multiple file transfers from his computer allegedly that consists of pornographic images and videos of youngsters as youthful as young children. See the relaxation of current day news After signing an affidavit acknowledging he'd seen the pornographic images, Wilson was released on 12 ,. 16, 2010 on $10,000 bond beneath the agreement he wouldn't access any computer without monitoring software. Around the program, the Texas resident was recognized for his emotional extremes, different from losing his temper to get teary while speaking about his youthful boy.

New Soap from Desperate Housewives Creator Lands at ABC

Felicity Huffman, Vanessa Williams Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry is leaving Wisteria Lane, and moving on to another ABC project titled Devious Maids.Marc Cherry: The end of Desperate Housewives is "bittersweet and lovely"The hourlong series -- billed as a prime-time soap -- will follow four Latina housekeepers based in Beverly Hills, Deadline reports. The drama is adapted from the telenovela The Disorderly Maids of the Neighborhood, now in its second season. The original version revolves around five maids (rather than four) who find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery that rocks their ordinarily quiet community.Cherry will write and executive-produce the show with Housewives partner Sabrina Wind.

Julian Barnes Wins Guy Booker Prize, Major Sales Boost Expected

Author Julian Barnes required home Britain's Guy Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday, Reuters reviews, after standing on the candidate three previous occasions. The 65-year-old author was out there back in 1984 for Flaubert's Parrot, England, England in 1998 as well as in 2005 for Arthur and George. Barnes won for that Feeling of an Ending, a 150-page book which was referred to like a novella by one rater. PHOTOS: 10 Greatest Book-to-Giant Screen Adaptations from the Last two-and-a-half decades Throughout Barnes' acceptance speech, he recommended Jorge Luis Borges, a writer who never won the Nobel Prize for literature. "Borges, when requested, because he constantly was, why he'd never won the Nobel Prize, used reply that 'In Sweden there is a little cottage industry exclusively dedicated to not giving Borges the Nobel Prize,' " he stated, before adding later, "I wondered whether there wasn't possibly some similar sister organization operating right here. And So I am just as much relieved like me delighted to get this year's Booker Prize." PHOTOS: Steven Spielberg's 'The Adventures of Tintin: Secret from the Unicorn' The win is anticipated to enhance book sales for Barnes, whose book focuses on an regular guy Tony who discovers that his reminiscences aren't as reliable because he once thought. Former British spy chief Stella Rimington, who oversaw the idol judges' panel this season, stated of Barnes' book, "We believed that it had been a magazine which, though short, was incredibly concentrated, and packed into this very short space a lot of information you don't get free from an initial reading through." She added, "It's among individuals these books, a really readable book, basically could use that word, but readable not just once but two times as well as three occasions." While Barnes' book might have been around the shorter side, it wasn't the least. Offshore, a 132-page book, by Penelope Fitzgerald holds that one recognition. Barnes can also be the writer of Metroland and performed themself in Bridget Johnson's Diary. Related Subjects Worldwide

Hollywood To Attack Its Own Block?

Rumblings and musings from Joe CornishIt's purely rumour-mongering at this point, but out doing the American rounds for his killer Brit-thriller Attack The Block, Joe Cornish has revealed that the word "franchise" is being bandied around.A nicely redemptive little tale of inner-city London troublemakers forced to become heroes when "shit falls from the sky and starts killing them" (Cornish's words), Attack The Block took the UK by storm earlier this year, and has been a surprise hit Stateside too.But that's not to say that some of the more baffled Hollywood suits wouldn't like to see it tinkered with. "We've had approaches for a remake..." reveals Cornish.Happily though, there are other options out there too, in the form of sequels and television. "We've also had approaches for a show to spin off it," Cornish continues, "but it's very early days, you know. It's not out of the question but I'd certainly like to do something different for my next thing... if I get a chance to do a next thing!"Looking forward to a possible Attack the Block Again? Cornish says his break-out star John Boyega is full of great ideas:"He has this image of a bigger alien attack on London, as if the attack we saw in Attack the Block was just the first wave and there's another wave of bigger creatures. And he described to me this image of Moses on a police horse, leading a whole army of hood kids across the Thames, next to the Houses of Parliament..."

New You are able to Comic Disadvantage: 'Spider-Guy: Switch off the Dark' Authors Talk Show Update, Financial Constraints

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic/Getty Images NY -Spider-Guy: Switch off the DarkwritersRoberto Aguire-Sacasa(Glee, Marvel Comics'Sensational Spider-Guy) andGlen Bergerhere on Sunday talked about the difficulties of revamping and streamlining the once-troubled show.our editor recommends'Amazing Spider-Man' Star Detained at Comic-Disadvantage Following Incident'Book of Mormon's' Trey Parker, Matt Stone Call Spider-Guy Musical a 'Train Wreck' (Video)NY Comic Disadvantage: Electricity Entertainment Creative Chief Hopeful for 'Green Lantern' Film Follow up Throughout a NY Comic Disadvantage panel that added an aura of Broadway towards the convention among a slew of occasions centered on such films because the Avengers (connect to the storyline from late last evening) and Television shows asTerra NovaandThe Walking Dead(connect to other story from yesterday), Berger remembered how intends to use holograms in theater lanes needed to be axed. The author duo also described towards the audience of fans and -women how some time and financial constraints stored a beloved story concerning the origin of Spider-Guy from the Broadway show. Plus they remembered how Berger grew to become the p-facto voice from the Eco-friendly Goblin character around the writing team by directing a tale about howBonofirst met CNN founderTed Turner. The $70 million musical, probably the most costly ever, was initially directed byJulie Taymor, but reworked after various accidents, unsuccessful stunts and bad reviews. One question in the NY Comic Disadvantage audience, which generally famous the rewrite from the show, was why it doesn't have a popular burglary story which was also area of the first SonySpider-Manmovie. "We all like the thief story - it's the quintessial Spider-Guy origin story," Aguire-Sacasa stated. "Whenever we reconvened to update the show, all of us were built with a wish listing of stuff we desired to put in. All of us desired to place the burglary in. But there is this type of limited period of time and, at that time, budget it was essentially impossible." Berger also stressed that the things that work inside a movie or comic doesn't always focus on stage. Enhancing clearness and concentrate and ensuring audiences stay engaged through the show was the important thing goal from the update, he stated. Berger also stated that although a clause within the original contract he got from Marvel mentioned the show needed to have condition-of-the-art technology, he stated the creative team needed to eliminate some technology to concentrate more about the storyline. "We actually were searching in the latest holographic technology," Berger stated. "What we should been on mind was these supervillains could be appearing alongside you within the lanes. We believed that was possible, also it's not [yet]." Aguire-Sacasa added that inside a multi-billion dollar show with much spectacle, locating the humanity of figures and making people worry about them was particularly significant. "The greater technology there's on stage, greater it's for connecting using the people around the stage," he stated. In a single key script change, the love story arc within the update from the stage show was focused on the connection between Peter Parker also known as Spider-Guy and Mary-Jane, who audiences acknowledged as his passion interest in the movies. "Although there is a [more difficult] love story [together with a third character] initially, we felt it had been better to change the main focus to Mary-Jane and Peter," Aguire-Sacasa described. Which permitted the authors to alter a Mary-Jane solo number to some duet with Peter Parker that further increased the figures and story, he stated. Several fans told the authors they really loved the broadened role from the Eco-friendly Goblin within the show's update. "Right from the start, he'd a comic book and violent streak which was reading through well on stage," Berger stated concerning the character and why he wound up getting an broadened presence within the update. "Glen type of was the p-facto voice from the Eco-friendly Goblin, while he can just funnel this crazy in a moment's notice," quipped Aguire-Sacasa. Berger then described how he channeled the smoothness. "Initially, it originated from Bono explaining meeting Ted Turner the very first time,Inch he told fans. As the two were travelling within the fields outdoors of Atlanta, Turner stated a lizard within the grass and recommended it wasn't poisonous lizard, but his assistant remedied him, Berger remembered. "Ted had already selected up and stated hell, you're right, it's [poisonous]," he stated. Inspired with that story, the Eco-friendly Goblin character for him grew to become about re-planting that bundle of one's and personality right into a researcher, he described. A few fans also requested concerning the reduced and refocused role from the Arachne character in the present version from the Broadway show. Berger stated that original showrunner Taymor added another female voice towards the musical and make an amalgam of countless female Marvel figures. The development "requested Marvel as we might make a pleasant effective composite," he remembered. "Which was the concept. It wasn't working in addition to it will have and may have." Aguire-Sacasa stated he was confused through the Arachne character considering the fact that he would be a Spider-Guy fan. "I figured what's this character," he told fans. "However when you perform a musical version, you need to do want something unique and new. It causes it to be specific to Spider-Guy on Broadway...to ensure that it isn't only the first movie on stage." Email:Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Spider-Guy: Switch Off the Dark Comic-Disadvantage 2011

Apple iPhone 4S Sells Out in U.S. Pre-Orders

NY - U.S. mobile phone carriers have sold out of Apple's new iPhone 4S in pre-orders, the NY Post reported.our editor recommendsApple iPhone 4S Elicits Mixed Web Reaction From ConsumersApple iPhone 4S Had Over One Million Pre-Orders in First DayApple iPhone 4S: What Hollywood Is Saying It said that all three major carriers that offer the phone - Sprint, AT&T and Verizon - have announced pre-order sellouts. Earlier in the week, Apple said the latest iPhone is its fastest-selling phone yet with more than 1 million pre-orders. Meanwhile, as the new iPhone went on sale in stores across the world on Friday, thousands lined up in such cities as London, Paris and Tokyo to get the final Apple device unveiled while co-founder Steve Jobswas alive, Reuters reported. "I am a fan, a big fan," Reuters quoted one consumer lined up in Tokyo as saying. "I want something to remember Steve Jobs by." The new phone was introduced one day before Jobs died. Initially seen as a disappointment, reviews have since been positive with many lauding a voice-activated software that helps answer user questions. New Apple CEO Tim Cookand his team hope to show with the device that they can sell hit products even without their long-time leader. Related Topics Steve Jobs Apple

Obama Adds Second Event to La Fund-Raising Trip (Exclusive)

The Obama Campaign has added another event for the leader'sour editor recommendsPresident Obama revisit La for Fundraising event Gala (Exclusive)Leader Obama to Hollywood: 'I Never Guaranteed You Easy'How Local Media Is Covering Leader Obama's L.A. Visit March. 24 fund-raising trip to La to be able to further tap entertainment industry dollars,The Hollywood Reporterhas learned. PHOTOS: 10 Hollywood Players That Will Really really make a difference inside the 2012 Elections The large event, a $35,800-per-person dinner within the Hancock Park home of Hitch producer James Lassiter and also the wife, Mai, will occur inside the late mid-day. Rigtht after is Obama's Latino fundraising event gala within the nearby home of Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. Along with the Lassiter, other hosts in the high-dollar dinnerincludeJada Pinkett Cruz and may Cruz Troy Carter (Rhianna's manager) and also the wife, Rebecca and Def Jam senior v . p . Jay Brown and also the wife, Kawanna, mind of Miracle Manley Companies. PHOTOS: Best Presidents in Film and tv Obama goes "table to table, sitting and speaking with each quantity of site visitors. He'll address the crowd generally, informally and may take several questions from site visitors." Candid photos will probably be taken wonderful dinner site visitors. The Two occasions are needed to enhance greater than $millions of for theObama re-election campaign. PHOTOS: Box Office Politics: The Flicks and Stars Dems versus. GOPers Love (and Prefer to Hate) Adding the Lassiter event will come in the wake Thursday's announcement the Obama re-election campaign as well as the Democratic National Committee elevated greater than $70 million through the 3rd quarter of the season. No less than fifteen percent in the donations came from from California, government bodies mentioned. More particulars on Obama's third-quarter fund-raising jobs are expected inside the future. Related Subjects Antonio Banderas Obama Jada Pinkett Cruz Melanie Griffith Will Cruz Politics