Entertaining Posts

Thursday, July 7, 2011

ABC soap "All My Children" to live on, online

LOS ANGELES | Thu Jul 7, 2011 3:31pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Canceled soap operas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live," will now live on -- not on the small screen but on the Internet, mobile phones and other online formats, the broadcaster said on Thursday.

ABC said it has licensed the two long-running daytime dramas to a Los Angeles-based production company in a multi-platform deal that "enables the soaps' stories to continue beyond their finale dates on ABC."

According to the statement, production company Prospect Park, which is behind the hit USA cable TV show "Royal Pains", will produce the two shows in the same format and length as ABC, but make them available on new devices, including Internet-enabled TV sets.

"We are privileged to continue the legacy of two of the greatest programs to air on daytime television, and are committed to delivering the storylines, characters and quality that audiences have come to love for over 40 years," Prospect Park said in a statement.

"'All My Children' and 'One Life to Live' are television icons, and we are looking forward to providing anytime, anywhere viewing to their loyal community of millions," the statement added.

No date was given for when or where the new episodes would be available and it was not immediately clear whether the cast for the two shows would remain the same.

ABC's decision in April to end the two soaps and replace them with new food, lifestyle and make-over shows was met with uproar from the dwindling amount of fans, some of whom organized petitions in a bid to save them.

"All My Children", which made its debut in 1970, will broadcast its final episode on ABC on September 23, and "One Life to Live" will bow out in January 2012 after more than 40 years. "All My Children" has lost about one million regular viewers since 2006 and now attracts an audience of about 2.4 million.

Agnes Nixon, who created the two shows, said she was delighted they would have a new life.

"I'm excited for their future with Prospect Park," Nixon added. "We are a big family that keeps going, and I'm looking forward to working alongside these wonderful people as we ensure that the shows will continue with all the love and excitement we've always had. I also am so happy for our loyal fans."

Both "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" have won multiple awards and praise for tackling social issues like alcoholism, AIDS and illiteracy.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

"Horrible Bosses" eyes joblessness, aims for laughs

By Christine Kearney

NEW YORK | Thu Jul 7, 2011 10:59am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In Hollywood's new film comedy "Horrible Bosses," an ex-Lehman Brothers executive who is jobless and desperate for money offers sexual favors to some old buddies in return for cash.

While that may seem odd or out-of-place for a Wall Streeter in a Hollywood movie (Gordon Gekko would never stoop so low), the director of "Hollywood Bosses" sees many more such jokes and plots in films, given the currently weak economy.

Director Seth Gordon said his movie, about three old friends who feel stuck in their jobs so they plot to kill their mean bosses, reflected real people's struggles to change jobs.

"You are going to see a bunch of movies that are themed in this way about people that are stuck in some way and want to restart and possibly can't. I think that premise is something that is really relatable right now," Gordon said.

"Horrible Bosses," stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis as three average Americans being bullied by their bosses -- one played by Jennifer Aniston in her raunchiest role yet as an oversexed dentist -- who want to move up the ladder but can't. Its big-name supporting cast includes Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell.

DEAD-END JOB? OR JUST DEAD BOSS

Gordon said the scene where the friends encounter their old acquaintance from Lehman Brothers, who was still out of work, played on people's worries about what might happen if they lost or quit their jobs.

"We needed to put a fine point on the fact that these guys didn't have other options," said Gordon, adding that without plotting to go as far as kill their bosses, many real Americans could relate to feeling stuck in their current job.

"One thing has led to another, they (the main characters) are in their thirties, they have taken a job or a series of jobs and they have ended up in a place that in the current economy is relatively fragile," said the director, whose career has included directing episodes of TV series, "The Office," as well as the documentary movie, "Freakonomics."

"It's not like you can move easily from company to company anymore," he added, noting that his film is set against a backdrop of how the "American Dream" is no longer as attainable as it once was.

A few years ago dramatic films including "Up in the Air" about people being fired and serious documentaries such as "Inside Job" followed the initial global economic slump in 2008, but there have been far fewer comedies so it's difficult to forecast how "Horrible Bosses" will play for audiences.

Early reviews have noted that "Horrible Bosses" is hardly risky in its content, with website Indiewire noting it is "the lightest and fluffiest of stuff" and "an intermittently funny, instantly forgettable romp."

Apart from a wacky turn by Farrell playing a sleazy, cocaine addicted womanizer, Aniston is likely to capture the most attention as a sexually aggressive dentist who hits on her subordinate, played by Day, because it plays against her all-American, good girl image.

"I thought it would be fun for me to step out of that, what people usually like to see me play," Aniston told reporters. "I don't think I really care if there would be a bad reaction to it, I actually didn't think there would be, I thought it would be fun for everybody."

(editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Fans, stars and Hollywood mourn end of Harry Potter magic

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON | Wed Jul 6, 2011 8:36pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Film farewells don't get much bigger than Harry Potter, and thousands of fans prepared on Thursday to say goodbye to their beloved boy wizard at the world premiere of the final movie in the record-breaking series.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is the eighth installment -- and first in 3D -- of a franchise that has generated more public excitement and media hype than any other in living memory.

For Hollywood studio Warner Bros it has been a magic pot of gold, with the seven films released so far grossing $6.4 billion in ticket sales and billions more from DVDs and merchandise.

For a generation of Potter fans, the movies have extended the wizarding world created by British author J.K. Rowling in her seven-book saga which began in 1997 and concluded in 2007.

More than 400 million copies have been sold around the globe, making Rowling the first author billionaire and providing a huge support base upon which the films built.

"We've grown up in the Harry Potter generation -- I read the first book when I was five so now it's weird that it's coming to an end ... like the end of childhood," said Rhys, an 18-year-old who braved the rain in London's Trafalgar Square.

Die-hard fans, some in full regalia from the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, have camped out since Monday to catch a glimpse of the stars as they walk the red carpet at the official world premiere.

The young actors, cast in their roles aged between nine and 11, said they too were struggling to get to grips with the post-Potter world, despite being A-list stars with huge personal fortunes.

"After we finished (filming) a year ago now I have felt a little bit lost without it, really, and not really knowing what to do with myself," said 22-year-old Rupert Grint, who plays Potter's main sidekick Ron Weasley.

"It's been such a constant part of my life and to suddenly have that come down to this one film, it is quite sad and I'm really genuinely going to miss it and miss everyone."

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

Consistent with the gradual trend toward darker content as the franchise progressed, Deathly Hallows - Part 2 climaxes with an intense battle between good and evil fought at Hogwarts.

Buildings are flattened, wizards and witches die and Harry steels himself for the final showdown with his evil nemesis Lord Voldemort, played by a snake-like Ralph Fiennes who called his character a "high definition villain."

Daniel Radcliffe, 21, who has played Harry Potter throughout the last decade, was enthusiastic about the conclusion.

"I think of it as being light years ahead of any of the other films in the series," he told a London news conference on Wednesday via videolink from New York where he is appearing in a Broadway production.

"In terms of quality this is the best film we've ever made, so I'm thrilled that we're going out on this positive note."

Whether critics agree remains to be seen, with most reviews coming out after the premiere.

The Daily Telegraph, however, featured an article by Philip Womack which described Deathly Hallows - Part 2 as "monumental cinema, awash with gorgeous tones, and carrying an ultimate message that will resonate with every viewer, young or old: there is darkness in all of us, but we can overcome it."

The movie opens in some territories on July 13, and in the key British and U.S. markets on July 15.

Rowling has said she has no intention of writing another Potter novel, and David Yates, director of the last four Potter movies, told the news conference that he believed the film cycle had closed for good.

Rowling's wizarding world will not disappear altogether, however.

She recently unveiled Pottermore, a website allowing fans to interact with the characters and storylines, and will finally retail the stories as ebooks exclusively on the site.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

"American Idol" reject Pia Toscano signs record deal

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Young stars struggle with life after "Harry Potter"

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON | Wed Jul 6, 2011 5:12pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The young actors who have worked on the "Harry Potter" movies for half their lives said on Wednesday they were struggling to come to grips with the series ending.

Their journey began with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (Sorcerer's Stone in the U.S.), which was released by Warner Bros in 2001, and it ends 10 years later with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" which has its world premiere in London on Thursday.

The central cast members, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, were between 9 and 11 years-old when they were chosen for the parts of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, meaning they grew up in a bubble of global movie stardom and personal wealth.

At their final press conference before the movie's launch, the stars were asked to reflect on how well they will cope with no longer being on the job.

"I don't think I still have really come to terms with that," said Grint, now 22. "After we finished (filming) a year ago now I have felt a little bit lost without it, really, and not really knowing what to do with myself.

"It's been such a constant part of my life and to suddenly have that come down to this one film, it is quite sad and I'm really genuinely going to miss it and miss everyone."

Watson, 21, described how she believed playing Hermione pushed her to become a better person in real life.

"I will actually just miss being her, getting to come into work every day and be this girl that lives in this magical amazing world and get to go on all the adventures that she goes on. That part's quite devastating."

Radcliffe, who addressed the packed press room in a pre-taped video because he was appearing in a play on Broadway, said the three share a strong friendship.

"I do think the bond between me and Rupert and Emma is pretty unbreakable, because I don't think anyone knows what it's like to go through this craziness. I will miss them both very, very much but hopefully we will find other projects to work together on."

NO OSCARS? NO PROBLEM

Director David Yates, who made the final four "Potter" films, was asked whether he was bothered by the fact that the Potter films had been consistently overlooked for major film awards, including the Oscars.

Despite several nominations, mainly in technical departments, the seven films released so far have failed to pick up a single Academy Award, a fact some critics argued was a major oversight.

"I think we've all made peace with that in a way," Yates said. "There are so many things to enjoy being part of this whole series of films, most of all the affection of the fans and the fact that there's a global community who follow these stories with great passion."

He pointed out that hundreds of Potter fans from around the world were camping in Trafalgar Square, the venue of Thursday's red carpet premiere, just to be a part of the final chapter.

"That's more of a compensation than lots of trophies so I think we're cool about that," Yates said.

The seven previous films have made around $6.4 billion at the box office, and J.K. Rowling's books on which they are based have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide.

"Deathly Hallows - Part 2" is the first "Potter" movie to be available in 3D, and industry experts predict it to perform strongly when it hits theatres, starting on July 13. The British and U.S. release date is July 15.

Asked to explain the franchise's success, Yates replied: "It's the beautiful books that they're based on that have this global fan base, and this eclectic series of characters...there's kind of something for everybody I think.

"Also the fact that their world offers us something bigger and more extraordinary than our ordinary lives and I think there's a sort of sense of wish fulfillment in that."

In "Deathly Hallows - Part 2," Harry moves inexorably toward a final showdown with his nemesis Lord Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes.

One effects-laden battle scene at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry seems straight out of a war movie, with death and destruction on a large scale as the young magicians struggle to stave off the forces of evil.

Yates and producer David Heyman said they were confident there would not be another Harry Potter novel or film.

"It (the series) will be sorely missed," Yates said. "It's going to create a huge hole."

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)