Foreign Box Office: Spielberg's 'Adventures Of Tintin' Opens Solid No. 1 Overseas

After months in the box office doldrums, the foreign theatrical circuit logged a robust weekend thanks to the overseas introduction of Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which registered a No. 1 offshore gross of $55.8 million drawn from 5,620 venues screens in 19 markets.our editor recommends'Adventures of Tintin' Draws Ho-Hum Response From Belgians'The Adventures of Tintin' Exclusive: Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson On the Making of the Film (Video)'The Adventures of Tintin': What James Cameron Showed Spielberg and JacksonRelated Topics•Box Office Alsol propelling the overall action was DreamWorks Animation's Puss In Boots, which set records for an animation title in Russia ($15 million from 700 locations) and in the Ukraine ($1.7 million from 110 sites). The 3D animation spinoff from Shrek, featuring Antonio Banderas as the voice of a swashbuckling feline, also opened in the Philippines, drawing $350,000 from 114 spots. Total weekend estimate for the Paramount release comes in at slightly more than $17 million ($17.05 million), ranking Puss In Boots as the weekend's No. 2 title overall. No. 3 was Paramount's horror outing, Paranormal Activity 3, which collected $17 million from 3,796 locations in 48 territories in its second round of international playoff, with the U.K. and Ireland providing $3.1 million at 419 situations, sufficient for a No. 2 market ranking. Opening in the week's fourth spot was 20th Century Fox's In Time, a sci-fi/thriller costarring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, which collected $14.5 million from 2,486 screens in 35 markets. No. 1 debuts were recorded in Australia ($2.5 million from 280 locations), Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand. Ranking No. 5 was Summit International's release of Constantin's The Three Musketeers, the latest film adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel. Weekend tally was estimated at $12.8 million from some 5,300 screens, buoyed by openings in 10 markets including a No. 2 Japan premier via Gaga Communications. Offshore cume stands at $84 million. The opening of Tintin -- the 3D motion-capture animation produced by Peter Jackson and based on the highly popular European comic book series created by Belgian artist Herge (nee Georges Remi) about the adventures of a young reporter and his faithful fox terror -- represents about 56% of the film's international b.o. potential, said Sony, which is co-distributing abroad with Paramount. No. 1 rankings were notched in 17 of Tintin's opening markets with France leading the way ($21.5 million collected over five days from 935 spots), which Sony described as "the biggest opening ever for an original, non-sequel film from Hollywood." Paramount said the U.K. came up with another $10.7 million from 508 spots. Spain contributed $6.65 million at 798 locations while Germany came up with $4.6 million from 847 locales. In Herge's home country, Belgium, the Tintin gross was $2.1 million drawn from 169 screens for a per-site average of nearly $12,500. It was the market's second biggest opening of 2011, said Sony. Tintin's offshore release of broke new ground in that it is believed to be the first studio tentpole to enter the foreign theatrical marketplace under the aegis of two major Hollywood distributors at the same time. "I do not think it has ever been done," said Mark Zucker, president of Sony Pictures Releasing Int'l., which is handling Tintin in Europe and many other markets. Paramount, which has U.S. and Canada distribution rights, is handling the title in all foreign English-speaking territories and in Asia (excluding India), including a Dec. 1 debut in Japan. Another headscratcher for studio international execs -- Tintin is not scheduled to open domestically until Dec. 21, a rarity given that most tentpole studio titles launch simultaneously around the world. Some films in the James Bond series have premiered offshore weeks before opening in the U.S. and Canada, but a separation of months between debuts may be unprecedented. "October is the right period for the movie (to open) in Europe," argues London-based Andrew Cripps, outgoing president of Paramount Pictures Int'l. Cripps notes that successive rounds of half-term school holidays are beginning across Europe. "This week in the U.K. (an in France), all the kids are off. In Belgium (and in Russia) next week, all the kids are off. There are lots of school breaks in most European countries. Given that Tintin is such a European property, and so well known in Europe, you know, this (film) can play right through to Christmas," said Cripps. (Herge wrote and illustrated 23 Tintin comic books from 1929 until his death in 1983.) Further, the outgoing Paramount exec noted that the October opening gives Tintin a jump on what looms as a busy overseas holiday season amply stocked with family-oriented animation comedies including Warner's Happy Feet Two, DreamWorks Animation's Puss In Boots, Sony's Arthur Christmas and Fox's Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked. Other developments: -- Disney's sci-fi/action drama Real Steel, grossed $12.2 million in 34 markets in its fourth overseas round, pushing its offshore cume past the $100-million mark ($108 million). Universal's Johnny English Reborn boosted its foreign gross total to $125.2 million thanks to a $12 million weekend at 4,200 sites in 53 markets. Reborn expects this week to fly by the $133 million overseas gross total compiled eight years ago by Johnny English, the first Rowan Atkinson spy spoof. --- Fox's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, at the conclusion of its offshore run, drew $7.5 million from 1,600 locations in its China opening. Weekend overall came up with $9.1 million from 2,408 sites in eight markets, pushing its foreign cume to $277.5 million. Openings in Latin America pushed the weekend tally for Warner Bros.' Contagion to $8.4 million from some 2,700 screens in 47 territories, bringing the disease-disaster title's overseas cume to $36 million. -- Opening No. 1 in Italy was Warner Bros.' release of director Allessandro Genovese's comedy, La Peggior Settimana Della Mia Vita (The Worst Week of My Life), which drew 2.9 million from 479 screens. Making its No. 1 Japan debut was Toho's release of director Koki Mitani's comedy fantasy A Ghost of a Chance, which collected an estimated $3 million from 107 locations. -- Taking the No. 2 spot in France was EuroCorp. Distribution's Un Monstre a Paris (A Monster in Paris), director Bibo Bergeron's animation comedy about a monster and a beautiful nightclub singer. Third round bounced up some 90% (because of local school holidays), generating an estimated $4.1 million from 617 screens for a market cume of $11.4 million. No. 3 in France was cop drama Polisse, which dew $3.5 million in its second round at 407 locations for a market cume of $8.8 million. Other international cumes: Sony's The Smurfs, $412.8 million; Fox's Monte Carlo, $16.3 million; Universal'sThe Change-Up, $29.5 million; Sony'sFriends With Benefits, $92.1 million; DreamWorks/Disney's The Help, $16 million (after a $3.5 million weekend in its ninth weekend in 16 territories); Paramount's Footloose, $8.2 million; Universal's The Thing, $4.1 million; Disney's The Lion King 3D, $50.7 million; Universal's The Debt, $12 million; Fox's What's Your Number, $14.5 million; Focus Features/Universal's One Day, $15.6 million; and Fox's You Are The Apple of My Eye, $16.7 million in Taiwan only. Related Topics Steven Spielberg Box Office Puss in Boots The Adventures of Tintin In Time

Are You Watching This World Series?, and 6 Other Stories You'll Be Talking About Today

Happy Friday! Also in this edition of The Broadsheet: Discover the subject of Drive’s celebrated closing theme… Philip K. Dick’s family wants to get paid… The great Channing Tatum/Steven Soderbergh male-stripper movie gets a release date… and more. · Forgive the diversion, but holy shit are you watching this World Series? The St. Louis Cardinals/Texas Rangers match-up has had everything: Historic slugging, National Anthem wars, political implications, and Thursday’s ungodly extra-inning Game 6, won by the comeback Cardinals in the 11th off David Freese’s dramatic home run. Even the sports shruggers I’ve watched with over the last week haven’t been able to take their eyes off it. And tonight is Game 7! Clear your calendar! It doesn’t get better than this. [ESPN] · Life-saving US Airways pilot Sully Sullenberger and Mad Max served as the joint inspirations for Drive’s uber-catchy closing theme “A Real Hero.” Obviously. [Vulture] · The family of late sci-fi author Philip K. Dick are suing the producers at Media Rights Capital and director George Nolfi for a piece of The Adjustment Bureau’s box-office pie, alleging that Nolfi optioned the original short story at a bargain rate of $25,000 with a promise to pay out if he ever made the adaptation. Now the defendants argue the story is in the public domain. Right. Hollywood is so full of Dicks. [THR] · This is brilliant: Channing Tatum’s semi-autobiographical, Steven Soderbergh-directed male-stripper opus Magic Mike will open June 29, 2012 — the same day Tatum’s tentpole G.I. Joe 2 hits theaters. Date night will never be the same. [LAT] · Today in gratuitous headlines: “Are Elizabeth Olsen and Carey Mulligan paving way for new nudity?” Hint: No. But you try not clicking. [LAT] · Today in awesome dual-meaning headlines: “Academy To Launch Governors Awards Film Fest With Oprah And Exorcist.” And you get an exorcism! And you get an exorcism! Anyway. [Deadline] · What’s shakin’ in North Korea? Oh, not much, just Pyongyang wanting to develop the country into an international IT outsourcing destination. You know, because tech support just isn’t complicated enough to begin with. [38 North] [Photo: Getty Images] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Producers and Executives at Odds as the Sweet Studio Deal Dies

This article originally appeared in the Nov. 4 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. You aren't going to get me to talk about how awful the studios are!" says one veteran producer before launching into a tirade on the subject. "The studios just don't respect what producers do. They'd rather not have them around. ... Studios have way too many executives and waste way too much money on that." Says another producer who ranks among the Hollywood elite: "The bigger the movies get, the more executives feel they're producing them. I believe there are more executives being dispatched to locations than ever before. ... When the executive says 'my' movie, it drives you crazy, and it's happening more and more." With the movie business undergoing a historic realignment as DVD revenue has shriveled and new technology has not yet generated cash to take its place, the issues facing the business are squeezing the top rank of producers, including those who still have generous deals with studios -- on paper. It's trickle-up economics, and those who have long been used to having their voices respected are finding that sometimes -- ouch -- their calls aren't even returned. Some believe that life has changed forever in the movie business, while others -- noting that studios are making increasingly homogeneous movies -- are hoping that eventually it will become clear that audiences crave something different and that producers are the ones with the experience and skill to develop and execute original, sometimes even great, material. Evidence of the pressure studios are imposing on big-name producers is everywhere. Jerry Bruckheimer just underwent what he described to THR as the most difficult negotiation of his career with Disney to launch The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp. Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine have seen their rich deal at Universal cut back and the studio pull the plug on their ambitious fantasy Western The Dark Tower, based on a series of books by Stephen King. A-list producers Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy just departed from Sony after two years without a green light. Even the industry's ultimate 800-pound gorilla, Steven Spielberg, has had struggles raising money. Some of the industry's most successful producers say the studios are making them feel, as one puts it, increasingly "irrelevant." And a top executive at one studio acknowledges that in many cases, they have a point. "I wish I could tell you they're wrong or they're being babies," he says. "But [their complaints] are legitimate. And it doesn't feel like it's to the benefit of the movie business. But studios are more involved in movies because the stakes are so high. You get pressure from the bosses to be sure you're managing the projects well -- but that used to be the producer's job." And that's from an executive at a studio that is considered relatively respectful. Not all are. There seems to be broad agreement among high-level producers that Fox has long been the most contentious with producers, even before the economics became so challenging, largely due to a strong-arm culture created by studio chief Tom Rothman. Disney, with suppliers such as Marvel and Pixar and its focus on branded entertainment, now makes few movies of its own and scarcely seems to need producers. Paramount and Universal also seem largely indifferent, except for a clutch of stars like J.J. Abrams (who, notably, is a filmmaker himself). Sony and Warner Bros. -- in that order -- get the highest marks. "Even when they're f--ing you, they're apologetic," says one prominent producer. "Fox, Paramount, Universal -- it's simply: 'This is what we're doing. Sorry we forgot to tell you.' " Says producer Laurence Mark (Julie & Julia): "Sony's the only studio that sort of harks back to the old studio days. Amy [Pascal] deals with the big picture. She's happy to make bold moves. They have great relationships that pay off." Notably, Sony has made The Social Network and Moneyball with powerhouse producer Scott Rudin -- films that other studios would have been unlikely to make. (In fact, one producer says he has heard executives at other studios make snide comments about Sony's decision to take a chance on Moneyball.) But some with ties to the studio say even Pascal has had to trim her sails in the current environment. "The studios trust a smaller and smaller number of producers," says Marshall Herskovitz, president emeritus of the Producers Guild of America. But he adds that he got that memo long ago. "I don't have a deal anymore," says Herskovitz. "Am I upset? Yes. But there's no point in crying about it." Instead, he says, he and many others have adapted: "Every producer I know has had to learn about independent financing. It may be that these tectonic shifts are finally hitting people who thought they were invulnerable, but most people have adapted. Producers have moved into television and new media and looked for other ways to finance features because that's what producers do. They're coping." (One producer says he has, like many others, sought opportunities in television, but even that is a struggle. "Suddenly you're going from office to office, peddling TV," he says. "There's a little bit of a Willy Loman aspect to it.") "We can yell our heads off, but we collectively need to adapt to changes in the business," says current guild co-president Mark Gordon. "The world is changing, and we have to change with it." Perhaps nothing illustrates more vividly the difference between then and now for producers than the Imagine experience. Last decade, Universal was giving Howard and Grazer a hefty $17 million a year in overhead as well as fees of $2 million up front against at least 5 percent of gross (more if Howard was directing). The partners even had two "put" pictures -- meaning they could force projects into Universal's pipeline -- though they never exercised that option. Their deal has since been trimmed to $8 million-plus a year, according to a knowledgeable source, but when the time comes for renegotiation (it runs through 2013), they are sure to face further pressure. Related Topics 1 2 next last

Matt Damon Readies Directorial Debut With Co-Writer John Krasinski

After many rumors and much hoopla, Matt Damon is finally lining up his directorial debut. Variety has learned that Damon and "The Office" star John Krasinski have co-written a currently untitled script that Damon will now helm. The idea originated between Krasinski and "Away We Go" writer Dave Eggers, and then Damon came on board. The film would follow a salesman who reevaluates his life after moving to a small town, with Damon playing the salesman. The flick is currently set up at Warner Bros, and should start shooting soon on the east coast. Check out the rest of today's casting news after the jump! Mark Romanek And Tom Hanks Find "The Lost Symbol" Move over Ron Howard, "Never Let Me Go" director Mark Romanek is helming the next film in Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series. Deadline is reporting that Tom Hanks is likely to return for the third adaptation of Brown's best-selling novels. The previous two films, "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons," grossed more than $1.2 billion worldwide. John Cusack And Johnny Knoxville Headed To "Carnaval" Josh Stern's upcoming comedy "Carnaval" is bringing together the unlikely duo of John Cusack and Johnny Knoxville, The Hollywood Reporter learned. The flick will follow Cusack as a sports scout sent to Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval to find the world's best soccer player. Knoxville will play his best friend, a musician who comes along for the trip and ends up hooking up with a woman who is actually the players' girlfriend. The movie starts filming in Rio in January. Tom Felton Joins Miniseries "Labyrinth" "Harry Potter" star Tom Felton is reteaming with his "The Apparition" costar Sebastian Stan for the Christopher Smith-directed TV miniseries "Labyrinth." Variety reports that he's playing Raymond-Roger de Trencavel, the Viscount of Carcassonne who died in 1209 while trying to save his people from the French Catholics. The four-hour series also stars John Hurt, Tony Curran, Vanessa Kirby and Stan. James Franco Says No To "Iceman" At long last, James Franco can finally take one of his many projects off the list. Just Jared has learned that Franco is backing out of the thriller "The Iceman" due to "key contractual issues." The project has been long in gestation, and now it is believed that it might fall apart because of Franco's departure. The cast also includes Ray Liotta and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Tell us your thoughts on today's Casting Call in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Maria Grasso & N Spera Sell 3 Dramas, Including Modern-Day Treasure Island

Inside their first development season on the The brand new the new sony Pictures TV-based One-Two Punch Prods., Maria Grasso and Deborah Spera have offered 3 projects for the broadcast systems: a modern day-day Treasure Island put together by Novelty helmet Eye scribe John Glenn and astronaut drama Riding Rockets created by Peter Elkoff, both to NBC, together with a household cleaning cleaning soap Heiress by Jennifer Robinson to ABC. In addition, Grasso and Spera have Wayward Bound, an hourlong dramedy at USA created by novelist Richard Murphy (Confessions From The Contractor), in regards to the employees inside a boutique tour guide company. Former Lifetime and OWN programming executive Grasso and former Mark Gordon Prods. leader Spera, who met while cooperating round the Mark Gordon Prods.’ Lifetime series Military Partners, joined in June to create One-Two Punch, which signed a couple-year pod deal with The brand new the new sony TV. Listed below are explanations from the organization’s broadcast projects: Glenn’s Treasure Island is known to love a contemporary-day revisionist take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. Glenn’s concept postulates the novel is founded on real existence occasions and figures which Manhattan is usually the legendary Treasure Island. Elkoff’s Riding Rockets is inspired by Mike Mullanes memoir and notifies his coming-of-age story to become an astronaut within this top class of NASA’s Space Shuttle program. The project occupies the rocky integration of girls into NASA’s ranks, the fallout in the Challenger disaster as well as the growing frustration with government documents, through Mike’s eyes. The Heiress, created by Imagine-professional-switched-film author Jennifer Robinson, is certainly an upstairs/downstairs-style cleaning cleaning soap. Inspired having a true story, it makes sense Huguette Clark, who upon her dying, omitted a $100 big, fully-staffed estate in Santa Barbara, which she hadn’t visited in decades.

'Transporter' Production Shut Down Due to Chris Vance Injury

Production on Cinemax's Transporter, the television series based on the film franchise from Luc Besson, has been halted due to an on-set injury sustained by star Chris Vance.our editor recommendsWill the 'Transporter' TV Series Deliver?'Transporter' Retools By Hiring Steve Shill and Karen Wookey For Production Supervision'Transporter': 'Lost's' Stephen Williams to Helm Pilot (Exclusive) Vance was injured while filming an action sequence on the Toronto set, and producers of the series decided to suspend filming to provide ample time to recover. PHOTOS: MIPCOM 2011's Most Buzzed-About Projects "We want to ensure Chris' return to peak physical condition before putting him back in front of the camera to continue shooting this fast-paced, action-packed series," says showrunner Steve Shill in a statement. The 12-part action series -- with a budget of approximately $3.3 million per episode -- underwent some major changes last month when it brought in veteran British director Shill (Rome, Dexter) and Canadian producer Karen Wookey (Andromeda) to help supervise production. Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, who are executive producers, stepped into the background to provide creative support after writing most of the scripts. The film franchise starred Jason Statham in the title role of Frank Martin and to date, has grossed $238.1 million in worldwide box office, according to Box Office Mojo. Related Topics International Cinemax

Oskar Eustis on Getting a completely new Talent

Oskar Eustis on Getting a completely new Talent October 12, 2011 Oska Eustis It needs to are actually november 1985. I used to be dwelling in San Francisco Bay Area, running the Eureka Theatre, on and on to NY. Obviously, I used to be trying to cram in as much theater after i could, which i had been frustrated because I'd turned up late within the Public Theater for a lot of show (I do not remember which) by getting an 8 o'clock curtain. There's a no-late-seating policy, which i figured I used to be in a complete loss."Really," mentioned my friend David Brisbin, "this is often a great chance. Bear in mind that kid, the NYU student I've been suggesting about? There is a show rising tonight in Chelseaand it is really an 8:30 curtain."I grumbled completely to 23rd Street, disgruntled at wasting among my precious nights in NY around the follow students author-director. We turned up, sitting lower, and within half an hour I understood I used to be inside a existence-changing event. The play was "An Exciting Room Referred to as Day" the writer and director was Tony Kushner.For that finish in the first act, a few of the figures (including Husz, the primary one-eyed Hungarian cameraman) grew to become an associate of together in the spirited rendition of "The Internationale," the world communist anthem.Tony later described that at intermission, the cast everyone was asking each other, "Who's that singing along inside the audience?" It had been me, clearly. I'd found a author who not only was more brilliant and exciting than any I'd ever experienced, but who shared my concerns, traditions, and values with techniques which i weren't aware of.Several things have happened to Tony and me inside the quarter-century since, however will be grateful for your Public's no-late-seating policy.Oskar Eustis might be the artistic director in the Public Theater in NY and contains labored just like a director, dramaturge, and artistic director for theaters across the country. From 1981 through 1986, he was resident director and dramaturge within the Eureka Theatre Company in San Francisco Bay Area, and artistic director until 1989, when he gone after L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum as connect artistic director until 1994. Eustis then offered as artistic director at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I., for 11 years. In 2005, he needed the helm within the Public Theater. Oskar Eustis on Getting a completely new Talent October 12, 2011 Oska Eustis It needs to are actually november 1985. I used to be dwelling in San Francisco Bay Area, running the Eureka Theatre, on and on to NY. Obviously, I used to be trying to cram in as much theater after i could, which i had been frustrated because I'd turned up late within the Public Theater for a lot of show (I don't remember which) by getting an 8 o'clock curtain. There's a no-late-seating policy, which i figured I used to be in a complete loss."Really," mentioned my friend David Brisbin, "this is often a great chance. Bear in mind that kid, the NYU student I've been recommending about? There is a show rising tonight in Chelseaand it is really an 8:30 curtain."I grumbled completely to 23rd Street, disgruntled at wasting among my precious nights in NY around the follow students author-director. We turned up, sitting lower, and within half an hour I understood I used to be inside a existence-changing event. The play was "An Exciting Room Referred to as Day" the writer and director was Tony Kushner.For that finish in the first act, a few of the figures (including Husz, the primary one-eyed Hungarian cameraman) grew to become an associate of together in the spirited rendition of "The Internationale," the world communist anthem.Tony later described that at intermission, the cast everyone was asking each other, "Who's that singing along inside the audience?" It absolutely was me, clearly. I'd found a author who not only was more brilliant and exciting than any I'd ever experienced, but who shared my concerns, traditions, and values with techniques which i weren't aware of.Several things have happened to Tony and me inside the quarter-century since, however will be grateful for your Public's no-late-seating policy.Oskar Eustis might be the artistic director in the Public Theater in NY and contains labored just like a director, dramaturge, and artistic director for theaters across the country. From 1981 through 1986, he was resident director and dramaturge within the Eureka Theatre Company in San Francisco Bay Area, and artistic director until 1989, when he gone after L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum as connect artistic director until 1994. Eustis then offered as artistic director at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I., for 11 years. In 2005, he needed the helm within the Public Theater.

Conan OBrien Makes First Live Trip To NBC

Conan O’Brien dropped in on Late Evening‘s Jimmy Fallon last evening, making his first live go back to NBC since he was Zucker-erectile dysfunction in Feb 2010. He came by to get something he stated he “left within the couch” — Triumph The Insult Comic Dog that they’s contractually forbidden by using on his The best spinner's show together with another intellectual property from NBC’s Late Evening and also the Tonight Show. Free the foul-mouthed pooch!

Javier Bardem in Discussions to Voice Villain in 'Despicable Me 2' (Exclusive)

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty ImagesJavier Bardem Javier Bardem is at discussions to voice a completely new villain in Wretched Me 2, the follow-up to Universal and Illumination's surprise 2010 hit. The initial movie adopted a villainous mastermind, voiced by Steve Carell, who connects along with his paternal side when the trio of orphans he utilizes with an evil plan melt his icy heart. PHOTOS: 10 Large Babies: Movies That Have Showed up in the ten-Figure Mark Carell and a lot of the other players within the first movie are needed to return nevertheless the new plot, being saved under systems, takes a completely new villain, which has a boy that belongs to them. Bardem would voice the baddie, whose title is El Macho. (His son's title is Machito.) Because the WME-repped actor, and lately minted father, has carried out many villains on-screen -- Bardem won an Oscar for playing sociopathic hitman Anton Chigurh in 2007's No Country For Old Males -- this may make his first turn, evil otherwise, inside the animation world. PHOTOS: Movie Report Card: 10 Finest Flops of 2011 (Up To Now) Universal has set a This summer time 3, 2012 release for Wretched Me 2, that's being directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Wretched Me Javier Bardem Worldwide

Occupy Wall Street: Hollywood Continues to Weigh In on the Protests

On Saturday, the Occupy Wall Street protest led a march in NY that causedhundreds of arrests when some of the demonstrators blocked passage to the Brooklyn Bridge.our editor recommendsOccupy Wall Street: What Hollywood Is Saying About the ProtestsOccupy Wall Street: NY Times Reporter Arrested During ProtestMichael Moore, Susan Sarandon Make Appearances at Wall Street Protests The demonstrations, which have been going on since Sept. 17, are to protest corporate greed and corruption. The protests also inspired several hundred Los Angelenos to take part in a march, rally and sleep-in outside the L.A. City Hall over the weekend. Several in Hollywood have already weighed in on the demonstrations, including Mark Ruffalo, Yoko Ono and Russell Simmons. STORY: Occupy Wall Street: NY Times Reporter Arrested During Protest On Sunday, many others in Hollywood hit Twitter to chime in on the protests. Among them was movie critic Roger Ebert, who tweeted: "Wall Street protests spread to Los Angeles. People are fed up with thieves." Roseanne Barr weighed in with two tweets: "Wall street protesters -dress like bankers-walk around and listen to the shiite they say-it will blow you away-overheard in nyc restaurant." She later added: "The working class of this country were destroyed by wall street as the middle class was encouragd 2 jeer at them& call them lazy #goesaround" Two and a Half Men co-star Melanie Lynskey retweeted a link to a column penned by Ruffalo in the Guardian in support of the protests. STORY: Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon Make Appearances at Wall Street Protests "Sigh. Seriously RT @celiakb: Because I didn't already love Mark Ruffalo enough." Politically passionate filmmaker Michael Moore, who made an appearance at the NY protest,also chimed in, tweeting out a link to an AP story about the demonstrations. "Now over 700 ARRESTED as THOUSANDS descend on Wall Street!" he wrote. Professional surfer Kelly Slater, who has appeared in several surfing-themed documentaries, including Riding Giants and Step Into Liquid, believes that the demonstrations are just part of bigger events to come. "Does anyone else get the feeling that Occupy Wall Street is just the tip of the iceberg on both sides?" he tweeted. STORY:Occupy Wall Street: What Hollywood Is Saying About the Protests Singer-pianist Regina Spektor took issue with the media's coverage of the event. "Occupy Wall Street has been peacefully protesting, holding general assembly, and marching for a week," she wrote. "Only now getting press after they arrested 700 people ... something is very wrong when hundreds of Americans gather and no mainstream media wants to report... Has anyone seen the old movie Network? this is sad...." Meanwhile, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who now runs a communications company with clients including athletes and corporations, chimed in: "Ds can have Occupy Wall Street. I'll take the tea party over them any day." Related Topics Melanie Lynskey Roger Ebert Roseanne Barr Michael Moore

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Is Showtime's Homeland TV's First Post-Post-9/11 Show?

Homeland Is Showtime's Homeland the first post-post-9/11 TV show?In a word, yes, according to Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, the former 24 producers who developed the show.Fall TV: Get the lowdown on this season's must-see new shows"If you look at 24, it was a response to the towers coming down. It was about America taking action against enemies," Gansa tells TVGuide.com. "This is very much a response to Osama bin Laden's death. It's a psychological exploration of what this war on terror has meant to the United States and meant to the individuals that are involved in it."Adds Gordon: "It's really about what we have to fear now that all the boogeymen of the last 10 years ... are no longer alive or in jail. We're left asking ourselves, 'What are we afraid of and what does that look like?' It doesn't mean there aren't things that are threatening us out there, but it does mean that those things are a little bit less obvious than we thought they were 10 years ago."In this case, the threat may be Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), a Marine sniper who's been missing for eight years. When Brody is discovered during a raid on a known terrorist's compound, CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) does all she can (including illegally installing surveillance equipment in his house) to prove that Brody has been turned by al-Qaida and may be aiding the next stateside attack.Check out photos of the Homeland castThere are just a couple problems: Carrie's theory is based solely on some old intel she received from a soon-to-be-executed source. And she suffers from a psychiatric disorder that she's hiding from her superiors in the CIA. "Because the first six or seven episodes really focus on the question of whether or not Brody has been turned by al-Qaida, Carrie's reliability is front and center in the story," Gansa says. "She's the one who's propagating this unpopular theory about Brody. And the audience is meant to question whether we can trust her opinions about this."Perhaps providing the audience a little guidance is Carrie's mentor, Saul (Mandy Patinkin), who may also end up in trouble for giving her theory creedence. "This is a guy with a big beating heart, who is a legend inside the agency," Gansa says. "As his feelings about Carrie evolve and change, I think that the audience will look to him to try to get a baseline about how to feel. But Carrie's illness is such that she does reckless and rogue things. And at a certain point, I think anybody who's close to her is going to suffer the consequences of those actions. And that's certainly true of Saul."Meanwhile, Brody returns home to a wife (Morena Baccarin) who, in Brody's absence, has begun sleeping with his best friend. Plus, he's greeted by a rebellious teenage daughter and a son who has never known his father. "We use the family as a way to dramatize how Brody reintegrates into his old life and how difficult that is," Gansa says. "For some POWs, a marriage and a family feels like a prison into itself."Showtime's Homeland: Don't expect Jack BauerBut could the family interaction perhaps affect Brody's decisions if he has become an al-Qaida sleeper? That's a question audiences will likely wrestle for much of the season. "The big question was how long can we do this and be compelling and not make the audience feel like we're jerking them around," Gordon says. "I think we found the balance of answering certain questions, which don't necessarily confirm that he is or isn't a terrorist, but that certainly still speak to what he's become and what he's experienced."Then again, when is a terrorist actually a terrorist? "The question doesn't end just when you answer has he been turned or not," Gansa says. "I mean, hypothetically, if he has been turned, he's really not a terrorist until he commits an act of terrorism. There's the ability to dramatize the struggle within himself of whether or not he's going to go through with it. He will go through a psychic struggle one way or the other."Ultimately, Gansa says, Carrie's and Brody's equally fragile states will play against each other. "In her surveillance of this man, she begins to develop feelings for him that aren't kosher, that are beside the point," he says. "Really, the series becomes a collision between these two characters - a collision between two people who have been damaged and who are damaged."And that may well be the lasting observation the series makes on our post-post-9/11 world. "I would say if there is any sort of message, it's that nothing is for free," Gordon says. "We're meticulously not trying to make any commentaries or even polemics about morality. We're trying to certainly ask the questions, but I don't think we're trying to answer them."Homeland premieres Sunday at 10/9c on Showtime.

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