• Joke on Europe as Madagascar sequel comes to Cannes May 18, 2012
  CANNES, France (Reuters) - The joke is on Europe, and in particular France, with the third animated "Madagascar" adventure, which has its world premiere at the Cannes film festival on Friday bringing big names in comedy to the red carpet. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted", from DreamWorks Animation, is the first installment in the franchise to be shot in 3D, and studio bosses will be hoping it can match the box office magic of its predecessors. ...
• Exploitation, loneliness in sex tourism film at Cannes May 18, 2012
  CANNES, France (Reuters) - Just who exploits and who is exploited in the sex tourism industry is the question asked in director Ulrich Seidl's "Paradise Love", a powerful and unsettling exploration of female loneliness and economic imbalance in Africa. Called "Paradies: Liebe", the German-language movie is in competition at the Cannes film festival and had its world premiere on Friday. The Austrian director chose as his subject white European women in their 50s who go on holiday in Kenya where they meet so-called "Beach Boys," young men who become their lovers. ...
• Reality TV, celebrity obsession hit Cannes screens May 18, 2012
  CANNES (Reuters) - Obsession with celebrity is the focus of Italian director Matteo Garrone's new movie "Reality" at the Cannes film festival, one of two pictures in the lineup exploring the corrosive power of instant fame and the desire to be watched. Garrone is best known for his last film, the gritty "Gomorrah" about a Naples crime syndicate. But with "Reality" he switches gears, creating a modern day fairy tale whose protagonist's soul is slowly and inexorably eroded by the lure of fame. ...
• "Avengers" may sink "Battleship's" U.S. launch May 18, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The big-budget action film "Battleship", produced by Comcast's Universal Pictures, is shaping up to become the next film to fall victim to "The Avengers'" record box office march. Universal's new sci-fi blockbuster, which opens on May 18 in 3,690 U.S. and Canadian theaters, is projected to rake in ticket sales of $35 million to $40 million over its first weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com's box office division. "The Avengers," which had ticket sales of $395. ...
• Mila Kunis stalker enters not guilty plea May 18, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A 27 year-old man pleaded not guilty on Friday to stalking "Black Swan" actress Mila Kunis at her gym despite a previous court order to stay away. Stuart Lynn Dunn could face up to four years in prison if convicted of stalking Kunis and violating a previous restraining order. Dunn was first arrested in January when he broke into a vacant apartment owned by Kunis in West Hollywood. He pleaded no contest was told to stay away from the actress. But he was arrested again in May after showing up for three days at a gym to try and make contact with her, police said. ...
• "Hysteria" is a feel-good victorian vibrator comedy May 17, 2012
  (Some sexual content throughout) LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Hysteria" is a fun fling of a movie about medical science at its shakiest. Literally. This amusing period comedy chronicles the invention of the vibrator in the late Victorian era, when doctors used early versions of the electrical device to bring women to sexual satisfaction. This was done in the name of treating women thought to be suffering from "hysteria," a vague diagnostic catch-all that covered pretty much all female complaints from melancholia to mania. ...
• "What to Expect" no better than pickles and ice cream May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - It's said that the only reason women are capable of giving birth more than once is that they forget about the pains of labor once it's all over. Here's hoping that audiences unfortunate enough to see "What to Expect When You're Expecting" undergo a similar bout of amnesia. This insipid comedy uses the best-selling pregnancy guide as a jumping-off point for multiple overlapping storylines, almost all of them banal, trite and hackneyed. ...
• Relativity acquires Liam Hemsworth thriller "Paranoia" May 17, 2012
  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Relativity Media has acquired domestic rights to "Paranoia" starring Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford and Lucas Till. IM Global is handling international rights for the thriller, which stars Hemsworth as a blue-collar worker trying to move up the ladder at Wyatt Telecom. His boss catches him committing a crime, and Adam must spy on the competition to keep his secret. Jason Dean Hall penned the script based on the novel by Joseph Finder. ...
• Review: sheer adrenaline keeps "Battleship" afloat May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - As a defender of the 1985 comedy "Clue," I can't automatically reject the idea of basing a feature film on a board game. But the game Clue comes with characters and a plot and a house. Battleship comes with a grid and boats and pegs. All those things turn up in "Battleship," a big, loud, stupid Hollywood movie that winds up looking all the better by virtue of not being as elephantine and deafening and moronic as a Michael Bay "Transformers" adventure. ...
• Peter Berg discusses bringing "Battleship" to film May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Peter Berg parlayed successful acting work on TV shows like medical drama "Chicago Hope" to an even greater directing career of movies such as "Friday Night Lights," which later became a TV series, and the Will Smith action flick "Hancock." On Friday, Berg's latest film, alien-invasion actioner "Battleship," steams into theaters. It takes its title from the Hasbro board game in which two players engage in a guessing game to see who can sink the other's naval ships. ...
• Philip Roth's "American Pastoral" to be movie May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Philip Roth's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "American Pastoral" will be made into a movie from director Fisher Stevens. The book is one of Roth's most critically heralded and offers a look at the social upheavals of the 1960s and 70s as seen through the eyes of a once legendary high school athlete, Seymour "Swede" Levov. "American Pastoral" helped kick off a career renaissance for the author and is the first novel in Roth's American postwar trilogy - a grouping that also includes "I Married a Communist" and "The Human Stain. ...
• UCLA Film Festival honors "Hugo" and "Walking Dead" makers May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "The Walking Dead" producer Gale Anne Hurd and "Hugo" screenwriter John Logan are among those who will be honored at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Film Festival this year. Hurd and Logan will be joined by fellow honoree Julie Dash, director of "Daughters of the Dust" and "The Rosa Parks Story." Dash, a UCLA MFA '85 graduate, will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award during the festival's opening night on June 8 at the James Bridges Theater. ...
• Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography May 17, 2012
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin hasn't yet figured out how to put the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on the silver screen, but he is certain it's not going to be a straightforward biography. Sorkin, who won an Oscar for his screenplay of Facebook film "The Social Network" and created TV drama "The West Wing", said on Thursday he would be looking for an element of tension or an obstacle in Job's life on which to hang the movie. ...
• Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine reunite in "Wild Oats" May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jack Black must have really enjoyed working with Shirley MacLaine on the recent indie comedy "Bernie," because he's already planning a cinematic reunion with his brassy co-star. The "School of Rock" funnyman is in talks to join MacLaine in "Wild Oats" for director Howard Deutch ("Pretty in Pink"). The film's cast also includes Jacki Weaver, who earned an Oscar nomination for her villainous turn in "Animal Kingdom," and Academy Award winner Alan Arkin ("Little Miss Sunshine"). "Wild Oats" is billed as a cross between "Sideways" and "Thelma and Louise. ...
• Andy Garcia joins Anchor Bay for "Admissions" May 17, 2012
  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Anchor Bay Film has partnered with Andy Garcia's CineSon productions for the upcoming romantic comedy "Admissions." Garcia and Vera Farmiga will star as two strangers who develop an extraordinary relationship in the course of a day. Farmiga portrays Edith, a mom accompanying her daughter on a college tour, while Garcia is George, joining his son on the same tour. Anchor Bay and CineSon released "City Island," which Garcia starred in and produced. ...
• Cannes festival opens with quirky comedy and a camel May 16, 2012
  CANNES, France (Reuters) - The Cannes film festival kicked off on Wednesday with quirky U.S. comedy "Moonrise Kingdom", Wes Anderson's exploration of childhood and young love centered around two 12-year-olds who fall in love and run away together. The touching tale, set in 1965 on an island off the coast of New England, was a popular opening movie in the French Riviera resort, drawing laughs and warm applause at a press screening ahead of the official evening world premiere. ...
• Philip Seymour Hoffman to star in "A Most Wanted Man" May 17, 2012
  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Philip Seymour Hoffman will star in a film adaption of John Le Carre's "A Most Wanted Man." The Oscar winner and Tony nominee will play the leader of a covert Germany spy group looking into the case of Issa, a tortured part-Chechen, part-Russian with a claim to his family's fortune. While a series of people, including a banker and a female lawyer, try to help Issa, assorted intelligence agencies begin to dig into his true identity. Hoffman is currently performing on Broadway in "Death of a Salesman. ...
• Jane Lynch to Republicans: "Money To be Made in Gay Marriage" May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Jane Lynch has a message for Republicans and it's all about dollars and cents. On "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday night, the "Glee" star said that the GOP should embrace gay marriage, as President Barack Obama did last week, not just because she believes it's the right thing to do, but because it offers an economic opportunity. ...
• Second Travolta accuser drops suit, hires celebrity attorney May 17, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The second masseur who accused John Travolta of sexual battery dropped his lawsuit against the Hollywood star on Thursday and hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred, who said she may file a new complaint in a different court. Allred now represents the Atlanta-based man, known as John Doe No. 2, as well as the original Travolta sexual battery accuser, a Texas masseur known as John Doe No. 1. "We believe that the lawsuit should be filed in another court and, therefore, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice," Allred said in a statement. ...
• Michael Rapaport to star in "My Man Is A Loser" May 16, 2012
  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Michael Rapaport will star with Bryan Callen of "The Hangover" in "My Man is a Loser." The comedy, written and directed by Mike Young, starts production this June in New York. It follows two married man who try to be better husbands by using their "playboy buddy." Of course, those attempts backfire. David Goldin and Eric Bamberger of Step One of Many Entertainment are producing with Michael Becker of Imprint Entertainment. Imprint recently acquired a biography of Pam Grier to adapt and is in post-production on "Pawn," starring Forest Whitaker and Ray Liotta. ...
• "Prometheus" writer teases possible sequels May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - There is a thick veil of secrecy surrounding "Prometheus," but co-writer Damon Lindelof hinted to fans this week that the upcoming science-fiction chiller may lead to sequels. The indication that more deep-space terrors could await even after the final credits roll on the film came during a studio-sponsored question-and-answer session on Twitter Wednesday. In response to a question about a possible "Prometheus" franchise, Lindelof replied, "If you like it and want more, there is TOTALLY a design for this story to continue in cool and unexpected ways. ...
• SXSW hit "See Girl Run" gets North American distribution May 16, 2012
  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Phase 4 Films has acquired the North American rights to "See Girl Run," the romantic drama starring Adam Scott and Robin Tunney. The film made its debut at South by Southwest and will be released in theaters and on VOD later this year. Tunney stars as a 30-something who becomes preoccupied with missed opportunities and unaccomplished dreams. She decides to revisit past relationships to try and enlighten her life. Nate Meyer wrote and directed the film. ...
• Stealth Media Group co-producing "The Devil's Banker" May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Stealth Media Group will co-produce the thriller "The Devil's Banker," the London-based company said at the Cannes Film Festival. Stealth will also structure financing, as well as package and sell the $30 million film to international buyers. "The Devil's Banker" depicts a political scandal that involves both the Mafia and the Catholic Church. These powerful institutions cause headaches for a British police Inspector investigating a murder in Rome. ...
• Joel Edgerton writing and starring in "Felony" May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Aussie up-and-comer is taking matters into his own hands by writing "Felony," a new thriller in which he will also take a starring role. Edgerton isn't a household name on this continent yet, but he's racked up some high profile roles since his acclaimed turn in last year's "Warrior." He will be seen opposite Jennifer Garner in this summer's family drama "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," and will appear with Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in "The Great Gatsby," which hits theaters later this year. ...
• FilmDistrict acquires horror film "Oculus" May 16, 2012
  NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - Do you believe in haunted mirrors? Film District will try to make you. The financing and distribution company has acquired Intrepid Pictures' horror flick "Oculus," which is based on Mike Flanagan's short film of the same name. Flanagan will direct from a script he co-wrote with Jeff Howard with production starting later this summer. Trevor Macy and Marc D. Evans will both produce and finance the project. Focus Features International is shopping its international rights at Cannes. ...
• Travolta accuser hires celebrity lawyer Allred May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The masseur whose $2 million sexual battery lawsuit against Hollywood actor John Travolta was dismissed earlier this week hired celebrity attorney Gloria Allred on Wednesday and could file a new claim. Allred, who numerous high-profile cases over the years have included representing women involved in the Tiger Woods sex scandal, said on Wednesday that she is now the attorney for "John Doe No. 1" and will be consulting with the masseur on his next steps in the case that has made headlines worldwide. "Mr. ...
• Sony Pictures Classics nabs "Love Is All You Need" May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all North American rights to Susanne Bier's "Love is All You Need" from Scandinavian sales company TrustNordisk. The latest film from the Oscar-winning Danish director stars Pierce Brosnan, far removed from his James Bond alter-ego. Set in Sorrento, Italy, "Love is All You Need" focuses on a group of people all seeking love, passion and happiness, with varying degrees of success. Bier's most recent effort, "In a Better World," was also released by Sony Pictures Classics and picked up an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language ...
• Baron Cohen's Dictator storms Cannes, camel in tow May 16, 2012
  CANNES, France (Reuters) - It took no less than a live camel strolling the promenade in Cannes to steal the show on the film festival's opening day, a feat that comedian Sacha Baron Cohen pulled off with chutzpah on Wednesday. The British satirist, star of "Borat" and "Bruno," used the novel public relations stunt to draw attention to the U.S. opening of his new film "The Dictator," in which he plays fictitious despot General Aladeen of the made-up North African country Wadiya. ...
• "Terminator 3" star Nick Stahl reported missing May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" star Nick Stahl has been reported missing by his wife Rose, who says she hasn't seen the former child star since May 9. Los Angeles police confirmed to TheWrap that a missing persons report was filed on Stahl. Rose Stahl filed the missing persons report on Monday, according to TMZ.com, which first reported the news about the actor. Reps for Stahl did not immediately respond to TheWrap's request for comment. ...
• John Woo directing remake of Japanese mob movie May 16, 2012
  LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - John Woo, the Hong Kong action maestro, will bring his stylistic flare to a remake of "Day of the Beast." Woo will direct the English-language update of Seijun Suzuki's 1963 Japanese film, as well as co-produce. "Day of the Beast" centers on a turf war involving Cold War Russian gangsters and the Yakuza, the Japanese mob. Woo made a big splash in the United States in the late 1990s and early aughts, translating his balletic action sequences to mainstream Hollywood productions like "Mission: Impossible II" (2000) and "Face/Off" (1997). ...

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