Tom Sherak tapped as film czar. More cuts at Tribune papers.
After the coffee. Before making sure all my expense reports are filed.
The Skinny: A lot going on this weekend. I’m hoping to catch either “Don Jon” or “Enough Said” and then Sunday is football, “Breaking Bad,” “Homeland” and “The Good Wife.” Oh, and a Redskins game too. Friday’s headlines include the box-office preview and movie executive Tom Sherak has been named Los Angeles film czar.
Daily Dose: Bloomberg TV scored a big win against cable operator Comcast Corp. The Federal Communications Commission said Comcast must move the Bloomberg business channel to the same group of channels occupied by similar networks including CNBC. Comcast has been fighting Bloomberg on this for years and said it is reviewing its options.
PHOTOS: Hollywood backlot moments
Cloudy with a chance of meatballs or porn. There’s something for everyone at the multiplex this weekend. For families and kids, there is the animated “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,” the sequel to the surprise 2009 hit. For adults with a dark side (i.e. me) there’s “Don Jon” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt whose affinity for Internet porn threatens his real-life romantic life. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” is expected to take in north of $40 million. “Don Jon” is projected to have a softer (no pun intended) opening of around $10 million. Also opening is the romantic comedy “Baggage Claim” and going wide is the Ron Howard-directed racing movie “Rush.” Box-office previews from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.
Tough times. Tribune Co., parent of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, is planning big cuts at its publishing unit, which is supposed to be spun off or sold if a buyer can be found. Chicago media columnist Robert Feder said Tribune is looking to trim $100 million, which the company has denied. Additional coverage from the Los Angeles Times.
Garcetti’s guy. Tom Sherak, a former 20th Century Fox chairman and ex-president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been tapped by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be the city’s senior film advisor or “film czar.” In that role, Sherak will attempt to stop or at least slow the exodus of movie and television production from the area. Sherak won’t get rich(er) in the job. He’s taking a salary of one dollar a year. That’s only a little more than what I’m making. More on Sherak’s appointment from Variety, Deadline Hollywood and the Los Angeles Times.
Big man to replace big man. HBO has snagged Robert De Niro to take a role in the upcoming limited series “Criminal Justice” that was to be played by James Gandolfini, the star of the pay-TV channel’s “The Sopranos,” who died earlier this year. De Niro was the only actor HBO sought and if he’d said no the network would have likely scrapped the series. Details from the New York Times.
No happy ending. However “Breaking Bad” concludes this Sunday, there will be sniping about it on Twitter (imagine if Twitter was around when Tony Soprano’s world went dark or the cast of “Seinfeld” ended up in jail) and other social networks. For every show credited with getting its ending right, another five are accused of blowing it. The Wall Street Journal looks at the challenges of ending on the right note.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Betsy Sharkey on “Don Jon.” Gamechanger Films is a new entity looking to back female directors.
Follow me on Twitter and maybe one day you can be a reference for me. @JBFlint.
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