Whitaker may call for 'The Butler'

WhitakerForest Whitaker and David Oyelowo are in negotiations to star in Lee Daniels' "The Butler," with Whitaker playing the title role and Oyelowo as his son. Based on the Washington Post report by Wil Haygood, story follows Eugene Allen, the butler who served at the White House under eight presidents from 1952 to 1986. As previously reported, Oprah Winfrey is in early talks to play Allen's wife. Daniels is helming his longtime passion project from a script he penned with Danny Strong. Denzel Washington was originally attached to star with Sony distributing, but the gears never meshed and Washington and Sony fell off. Pamela Williams will produce through Laura Ziskin Productions along with Hilary Shor. Financing still has to be arranged, so no deals are set and no distributor is in place -- but sources say the money should be figured out shortly with a plan to begin shooting this summer. The casting plan is similar to Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" pic, with a large group of supporting players portraying famous figures while Whitaker, Oyelow and Winfrey get the most screentime. Whitaker has stayed very busy of late, with several films already wrapped and awaiting release including Lionsgate's "Last Stand" and "Pawn." Oyelowo has also kept hard at work since his breakout role in Fox's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," grabbing roles in Paramount's "One Shot" and "Lincoln." He was also recently featured in Fox's "Red Tails" and can be seen next in Daniels' "The Paperboy." Whitaker is repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment Partners. Oyelowo is repped by ICM, Inphenate and Hamilton Hoddell. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

Jesse Schoenbaum dies at 86

Jesse Schoenbaum, former controlling director of Minneapolis' famous Guthrie Theater together with a vital estimate the increase of nonprofit professional theaters inside the U.S., died in California, Fla., on Feb. 24. He was 86. Born in NY, Schoenbaum examined theater at USC under William DeMille. Carrying out a stint becoming an actor in Hollywood, he needed to pointing and creating efforts, founding the touring Repertory Players company in Omaha, Neb., in 1958. Together with director Adrian Hall while others, Schoenbaum started Trinity Repertory Theater in Providence, R.I., where he offered as controlling director. Schoenbaum left couple of years later, in 1965, because he received his second Ford Foundation grant, that certain to examine the inside workings in the Guthrie Theater. By 1969 he was the Guthrie's controlling director, a publish through which he ongoing to become for 21 years, throughout they introduced the organization's expansion right into a surgical treatment with year-round options. Under Schoenbaum, the Guthrie received a distinctive Tony Award for theatrical excellence at regional theaters in 1982. In the statement, Guthrie director Joe Dowling mentioned, "Don Schoenbaum was one of the true heroes in the Guthrie, controlling it through good occasions and bad -- but always aware of the artistic and institutional points of interest.Inch Schoenbaum outdated to California in 1986 but ongoing to become associated with theater there. Children include his wife, Patricia Nygaard three sons a stepson and four grandchildren. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Leonard Nimoy Becomes Large Bang Theory's "Dream" Guest Star

Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder When The Vampire Journals showed towards the first 1900s to educate yourself regarding Stefan's ripper roots, Damon was greatly absent from his brother's existence. When the CW series travels compared to that era again, audiences will dsicover the way the rift involving the Salvatore boys was created. Vampire Journals Photos! Costly back a hundred years to "1912" "You realize the rebirth of Damon Salvatore and where he's at 1912," Ian Somerhalder notifies TVGuide.com. "You study a lot in regards to the dynamic of Stefan [Paul Wesley] and Damon and the way it changed." The Vampire Diaries' Daniel Gillies: Elijah taking Elena hostage was the very best disgrace Despite the fact that pair has received more than a hundred years of pros and cons, Somerhalder is for certain that the potency of their brotherhood surpasses their versions - even individuals which involve a specific brunette named Elena (Nina Dobrev). "These males could've destroyed each other 100 occasions and so they can't. They just cannot finish it," according to him. "Those are the main two that know each other and understand each other ... at the conclusion throughout your day they're doing love each other and they have to think about proper proper care of each other." The Vampire Journals returns with new episodes on Thursday, March 15 at 8/7c round the CW.

Michael Shannon talks General Zod

Guy Of Steel may still be at least a year away, but that has not stopped the steady drip-feed of knowledge in the production being pored in microscopic detail through the geek community.The most recent nugget of information originates from star Michael Shannon, who's dropped a couple of clues in regards to what don't be surprised from his version of General Zod."He's really a not so frightening guy," states Shannon from the marauding Zod. "He's just attempting to perform, much like anybody." Good point, as well as the proven fact that most individuals 9 to 5 does not involve entering other planets...Regarding how audiences will react to the smoothness, Shannon is uncertain. "I'm not sure, you realize?Inch he muses. "I'd rather not say. Many people might hate him, many people might love him. But I am keen on him. I respect him."Same goes with he be instructing every Tom, Dick & Harry to "kneel before Zod?" "Zod has some speeches," verifies Shannon very carefully. "He's some awesome speeches. I acquired to state some awesome stuff, however i can't say any one of it at this time.InchEasy to understand reticence because of the bonds of secrecy expected by galleries nowadays, although Shannon did return on themself to show one type of genuine dialogue: "Are you aware the world is continually diminishing, Superman?" Model of that certain, what you should...Guy Of Steel will open in america on 14 June 2013, having a United kingdom release date still to become confirmed.

Oscars: Who Do You Want to Win?

The Artist and Hugo topped Sunday's Academy Awards with five statuettes each, with the former winning Best Picture, while Meryl Streep won her long-awaited third Oscar after 29 years.See all the Oscars fashion hits and missesThe Artist is the first silent film to win the top honor since Wings triumphed at the first Oscars in ... Read More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Christopher PlummerMeryl StreepWoody AllenJim RashNat FaxonOctavia SpencerBret McKenzieJean DujardinMichel HazanaviciusThe Girl With The Dragon TattooThe Iron LadyRango84th Academy AwardsBeginnersThe HelpMidnight In ParisThe DescendantsHugoThe MuppetsThe Artist

Scott Foley to Co-Star Opposite Becki Newton in Fox Comedy Pilot

Scott Foley is heading to Fox.The "Felicity" actor has been tapped to co-star opposite Becki Newton in the Fox comedy pilot "The Goodwin Games," "The Hollywood Reporter" has learned.The single-camera project from "How I Met Your Mother's" Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris is described as a high-concept project about a father who leaves his fortune to his three children -- only if they agree to his terms.Foley will play Henry, one of the children, with the previously cast Newton playing his sister, Coney.From 20th Television, Bays, Thomas and Harris will write and exec produce with Peyton Reed on board to direct.Foley most recently wrapped an arc as Henry on ABC's Shonda Rhimes medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." The casting marks his latest comedic effort following stints on "Cougar Town" and "Scrubs."Repped by ICM, Brillstein Entertainment and Baker Winokur, he also will recur next season on HBO's Alan Ball vampire drama "True Blood."Foley's former "Felicity" co-star Scott Speedman also booked a pilot this season and is set to star in Shawn Ryan's ABC drama "The Last Resort." The Hollywood Reporter

Thinking outdoors the studio lot

Marvel's 'The Avengers' is among the films assisting to fill Disneys pipeline.'Bridesmaids' was a part of Relativitys slimmed lower slate this past year."Other individuals money" is just about the mantra from the Hollywood majors because they make less films themselves, and turn to outdoors producers to have their distribution pipelines full.Based on the Movie Assn. of America, releases from Disney, Fox, Vital, The new sony, Universal and Warner Bros. dipped 4% between 2001-2010, while product from studio niche arms fell 51%, largely due to the shuttering of specialty labels like Warner Independent, Vital Vantage, Fox Atomic, and Disney's purchase of Miramax. Non-MPAA people, including everybody however the six majors, demonstrated a 55% rise in pic production throughout individuals nine years.This Year, MPAA people created 98 films, in comparison with 652 films from non-MPAA people, based on data in the org. This is a 19% drop in photos for that majors in the prior year's total of 121 (non-MPAA people created 613 in '09). This past year, the majors created 104 photos, based on Rentrak -- near to the 10-year average of 110. And also the galleries curently have 94 films slated for release this year.These figures could be a little misleading.Galleries might be disbursing the flicks, however they aren't fully financing many of them. As budgets develop, galleries wish to mitigate their risk on pricey photos. The recession, diminishing homevideo dollars and also the tightening of purse strings by corporate parents also have led towards the studios' production slate cuts. Using the rare exception of the "Harry Potter," or Disney's family tentpoles, galleries progressively are embracing an growing listing of moneymen with substantial personal wealth, charge of hedge funds, lines of credit along with other causes of equity with whom they are making large-budget photos.While mitigating risk on production budgets, the galleries, serving as distribution organizations, can engage in the growing box office overseas -- particularly in China, Russia and South america -- and new digital distribution platforms. As Disney reduces its inhouse productions to some half-dozen live-action family films, it's completing the relaxation of their distribution pipeline with films from Marvel Galleries, Pixar and DreamWorks."We're feeling we are best by reduction of how big the slate and making films which are bigger and progressively more dangerous," Disney chief Robert Iger told traders this past year. Individuals films include "Oz: The Truly Amazing and Effective" and "John Carter," because both versions are more expensive than $200 million.A Button House is not alone for the reason that change.Vital ended up with "Iron Guy," "Thor" and "Captain America" via a distribution cope with Marvel Galleries once the comicbook giant was self-financing its slate of super hero fare. Componen also releases DreamWorks Animation's characters, and arrived "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" via a pair-track of Hasbro, and also the "Indiana Johnson" films from the lengthy relationship with Lucasfilm. "Star Wars,Inch "G.I. Joe" and also the remake of "Footloose" were backed by Spyglass (now responsible for MGM). And also the studio presently has David Ellison's Skydance reinvigorating the "Mission: Impossible" franchise and backing the "Star WarsInch series, that was restarted in '09.The deals let Vital collect a lucrative distribution fee while offering tie-inches rich in-profile tentpoles. Another factor aiding an upswing of outdoors-studio producers may be the recent slow de-frosting from the credit market, that has assisted traders to boost enough capital to purchase Miramax, MGM to re-finance its debt with $500 million and return like a player, New Regency to shut a $500 million line of credit and Dune Capital Management to increase its cope with Fox to back 35% from the studio's slate.Simultaneously, the search for profits throughout the economical recession has put pressure around the majors to create safer bets: four-quadrant franchises that play globally and perform across divisions. The down-side: Individuals films are costly, with $100 million-plus pricetags which are rapidly ballooning beyond the $200 million mark."People still need to see movies," states one studio chief. "Unless of course you are Disney, moviegoers don't worry who means they are.Inch MGM, that was when the embodiment from the studio system, is emerging from personal bankruptcy like a producer of photos for other galleries, focusing heavily on remakes like "RoboCop," "Dying Wish," "WarGames," "Mr. Mother" and "Barbara."And besides the creative aspects, galleries are outsourcing their funding. The new sony and Universal depended on Relativity Media before seeking other sources as Relativity gone to live in are more of the small-major. India's Reliance Large Entertainment stored DreamWorks alive. Universal has introduced Mix Creek to the lot. Warner Bros. includes a longtime cope with Legendary Pictures because of its Batman, Superman and "The Hangover" films, although it also offers handles Alcon Entertainment and Village Roadshow for other tentpole fare. These bankers-switched-filmmakers are helping go ahead and take weight off galleries needing to fully fund their slates as cost-cutting congloms require more profits using their film divisions. Participant Media, which co-finances photos with Imagenation Abu Dhabi, had a couple of the very best films in the B.O. earlier this fall, with Warner Bros.' "Contagion" and "The Assistance,Inch a DreamWorks production that Disney distributed. Participant normally backs two films each year, Legendary co-finances three high-profile tentpoles yearly with Warner, while Spyglass earnings three, including "The Dilemma" (U), "NsaInch and "Footloose" (both Componen) this year.The greatest player continues to be Relativity, that has co-funded 20-30 films annually since 2005, disseminate mostly between The new sony and Universal, ponying as much as 50% of every film's budget. This Year, however, it drawn to around 11, including Sony's "Fight: LaInch U's "Bridesmaids" and "Hop" and U, DreamWorks and Imagine's "Cowboys & Aliens," because it changes gears to become small-major on its own. Its solo releases this year incorporated "Season from the Witch," "Unlimited" and "Immortals."In addition, with every hit within financier's belt, you will find more incentive to finance additional films. Just take a look at Mix Creek activities after its purchase of "Black Swan," which designed a strong showing in the worldwide B.O. The shingle gone to live in back Imagine Entertainment and Universal's "Hurry," and signed onto back a slate of films for U.But getting co-financing partners does mean discussing the upside, frequently on films the majors could have been more reluctant to provide up ten years ago. That's particularly true if this involves follow up-worthy franchises, which new funds like Hemisphere Capital are increasingly being offered, like "The Smurfs" and "Males in Black III." While its "Harry Potter" franchise was off-limits to partners, Warner Bros. enabled Legendary to back its high-profile Electricity Entertainment qualities starring Superman and Batman. Whether that continues remains to appear since WB takes with additional control of DC's figures. "The galleries continue to be moving via a period where there's pressure on margins. They are definitely not overinvesting and generating films," states John Nendick, global media and entertainment leader at Ernst & Youthful. Until growing types of digital distribution make amends for a decline in DVD sales -- which does not appear prone to happen in the near future -- that will not change. Alternate suppliersThe quantity of releases by non-galleries and studio subsidiaries increased in the last decade from 270 in 2002 to some high-water mark of 466 in 2008. The current recession along with a crowded marketplace produced less releases recently, although the trend indicates tallies are again increasing.Come back to Movies & Money >> Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com