Spotlight

Major studios and the Screen Actors Guild broke off three weeks of contract talks without agreement on Tuesday, stoking fears of renewed Hollywood labor unrest after a 100-day writers strike that ended in February. News of the stalemate came in a statement from the studios’ bargaining agent, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), about 90 minutes after a self-imposed deadline for reaching a settlement had passed. The AMPTP statement blamed “SAG’s continued adherence to unreasonable demands,” citing the union proposals to increase the “residual” payments actors earn for DVD sale. - From Reuters

Ellen Page is set to play one of English literature’s most famous characters, the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.” Alison Owen of Ruby Films, who most recently produced “The Other Boleyn Girl,” is working with BBC Films to develop the new adaptation of Bronte’s classic 19th century romance. It’s the story of a mousy governess who softens the heart of her saturnine employer Mr. Rochester, only to discover that he’s hiding a terrible secret. - From Variety

Paramount Pictures release of Marvel Studios’ Iron Man total combined estimated global box office for Marvel Studios’ Iron Man is $201,000,000. “It beat Will Smith and Jesus!” gushed a Paramount insider referring to the openings of I Am Legend and The Passion Of The Christ. “It’s just mind-blowing. Internally, some people were going into high 80sM and low 90sM but people were laughing at them. We had our own box office poll and maybe one person thought $100M.” The monster numbers now make Iron Man the second biggest 3-day release for a non-sequel in the history of Hollywood, behind only Sony’s first Spider-Man. - From Nikki

Brad Pitt and George Clooney join recent Oscar champ Tilda Swinton (best supporting actress, “Michael Clayton”) in the next flick from those Oscar-nabbers Joel and Ethan Coen (best picture, director, screenplay, “No Country for Old Men”). New teaser photos are out of “Burn After Reading,” in which Pitt portrays a gym trainer on the run after swiping a computer disk containing the hush-hush tattle of a CIA snoop. This time, instead of portraying Clooney’s foe, Swinton is his lover. Read more »

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Industry News

“V for Vendetta” helmer James McTeigue is attached to direct the thriller “Revelation” for Inferno.
Story centers on a female journalist who is assigned to investigate a series of bizarre murders and discovers that the victims were all being treated by the head of an org that researches alien abductions.

John Salvati penned the screenplay. McTeigue is currently helming Warner Bros.’ “Ninja Assassin,” which is being produced by the Wachowski Brothers. Johnson and Seibel formed Inferno Distribution, a production, financing and sales outfit, in 2002. Their upcoming projects include a remake of “The Women” and Lasse Hallstrom’s “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story,” which are in post-production.

- From Variety

Fox is going out on the “Fringe,” handing a pickup to drama from J.J. Abrams about a young femme FBI agent who tackle cases involving unexplained medical and scientific phenomena.
Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV produced a two-hour pilot for “Fringe,” which was penned by frequent Abrams’ collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and helmed by Alex Graves. Skein’s cast includes Anna Torv, Mark Valley and Joshua Jackson.

Fox also on Saturday gave a pickup to animated comedy “Sit Down, Shut Up,” from Sony Pictures TV and 20th Century Fox TV, insiders said. “Sit Down” is exec produced by Mitchell Hurwitz and features the vocal talents of Jason Bateman along with Nick Kroll, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler. That greenlight comes on the heels of Fox’s order dispensed late Friday for live-action comedy “The Inn,” whose pilot Bateman directed.

- From Variety

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says California must increase tax incentives to movie and television studios as a way to keep them from moving their productions out of state.

He says incentives being offered by other states are luring studios away and costing California tens of thousands of jobs.

His comments on Friday came days after ABC Studios said it was planning to move production of “Ugly Betty” from Los Angeles to New York.

A new law there triples New York’s film tax credit. Companies can receive a 35% credit if at least three-quarters of their production is filmed in the state.

- From THR

Jennie Garth is returning to the old 90210 neighborhood.

Garth has joined the cast of the CW’s “Beverly Hills, 90210″ spinoff as a recurring, reprising her role as Kelly Taylor from the original series.

In the spinoff, Kelly is a guiding counselor at her alma mater, West Beverly Hills High.

From THR

Alexander Payne is turning to TV, signing on to direct HBO’s dark comedy “Hung.”

Payne’s attachment comes as HBO has given the pilot a firm greenlight. Project’s the first lined up at the pay cabler by new HBO Entertainment prexy Sue Naegle (Daily Variety, April 24), and it’s been on the fast track ever since. “Hung” revolves around a well-endowed man who is plodding along in middle age as a struggling father and high school coach. The character was once a high school sports legend, and his luck returns when he figures out a way to use his best asset.

- From Variety

David Chase, creator of “The Sopranos,” has signed on to write, direct and produce his first feature film for Paramount Pictures. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the project is described as an original drama. Chase has a long-standing relationship with Paramount chairman Brad Grey, his producing partner on “The Sopranos.”

- From Variety

Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures are closing, it was announced today by Alan Horn, president & COO of Warner Bros.

In a statement, Horn said, “With New Line now a key part of Warner Bros., we’re able to handle films across the entire spectrum of genres and budgets without overlapping production, marketing and distribution infrastructures. After much painstaking analysis, this was a difficult decision to make, but it reflects the reality of a changing marketplace and our need to prudently run our businesses with increased efficiencies. We’re confident that the spirit of independent filmmaking and the opportunity to find and give a voice to new talent will continue to have a presence at Warner Bros.

- From Variety

Days after the $100 million boxoffice smash opening of “Iron Man,” Marvel Entertainment has extended the contract of Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel through 2010 and promoted Kevin Feige to president of Marvel Studios.

Maisel, who joined Marvel in 2003 and was named chairman of Marvel Studios last year, was responsible for the conception and execution of the company’s film production initiative and for securing a $525 million nonrecourse loan facility to finance the strategy. He also serves as an executive producer on both “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.”

- From THR

On the heels of a $102 million opening weekend for “Iron Man,” Marvel Animation is powering up the “Marvel Super Hero Squad.”

The Marvel Entertainment division said it is producing 26 half-hour episodes of a new “super stylized” animated series aimed at 6- to 8-year-olds. It will feature such well-known heroes as Iron Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Thor, Fantastic Four and Captain America; all occupy a caricatured Super Hero City and are thrust into humorous adventures as they thwart the villainous plans of Doctor Doom, Magneto, Loki, the Abomination and others.

- From Reuters

Sony Pictures Classics has picked up domestic and select international rights to Atom Egoyan’s “Adoration.” Pic, starring Rachel Blanchard, Scott Speedman, Arsinee Khanjian and Devon Bostick, will preem in Competition at Cannes on May 22. Release plans are to platform with a bow in the fourth quarter of this year. - From Variety