Bad Movies We Love: O

Ralph Fiennes’s sweeping Coriolanus arrives this weekend. See that shit. Fiennes whips up a batch of thundering personal conflict, the kind that made Quiz Show so awesome, and Vanessa Redgrave gives a supporting performance far worthier of an Oscar than her work in Julia. She is angst and fury. She’s like Coriolanus Morissette up there. But if Shakespearean seriousness isn’t your thing, please circle back to 2001 when Mekhi Phifer, Julia Stiles and Josh Hartnett served up a Shakespearean telenovela in O, based on Othello. Hope you like hip-hop, opera and Josh Hartnett’s “evil” face, because this movie is a green-eyed monster that’s trying so hard not to be funny. Famously, O was filmed in 1999 but not released until 2001; the Columbine shootings made high school violence an unsavory topic for a couple years. Fact is, we could’ve used the chuckle that O provides. It is such an unyielding, self-serious melodrama that I deemed it appropriate to laugh randomly as the scenes progressed. It’s like reading a high school sophomore’s handwritten summary of Othello, one he wrote while listening to his favorite 2Pac album and doing his darnedest not to transcribe some of the lyrics on accident. In this retelling, Othello is a star basketball player named Odin or “O” (Mekhi Phifer), the only black student at his southern high school. He loves his girlfriend Desi (Julia Stiles), but his envious teammate Hugo (Josh Hartnett) starts to manipulate him into believing she’s duplicitous. You know Othello. Jealousy takes over, O loses control, and the story ends in tragedy. Fine, great. But the torrid basketballing has to be seen to be believed. Like all Bad Movies We Love, O breaks down into five lovable attributes. Let’s count ‘em down like hip-hop moves in Julia Stiles’s repertoire. 5. Martin Sheen loves Odin like a son, but not like his horrible son Hugo. Martin Sheen, one of our best presidents, plays a bulldog basketball coach who thinks O will lead the team to its 20th state victory. During an assembly he proclaims, “I’m not ashamed to say I love him like a son!” Now, that’s weird, because Martin Sheen has another son in this movie, and it’s the nefarious Hugo —- who plays on the fucking team. That slight really gets Hugo riled and scheme-y! Here, we see some of the merciless grit that marks Sheen’s performance. We also see John Heard (AKA Macaulay Culkin’s father in Home Alone) fight with his daughter about her personal affairs. 4. Modern-day Shakespearean translations are sometimes… dumb. Othello is filled with literary iconography: the “green-eyed monster,” Othello’s c-section scar, Desdemona’s dropped handkerchief. Sinister stuff. Too bad O proves that these items can seem awfully dull when revived in a moody hip-hopera. If the names “Odin” (for Othello), “Desi” (for Desdemona), and “Hugo” (for Iago) didn’t feel like Malt-O-Meal versions of the real things, check out other dubious updates: The “monster” lurking over the proceedings is a hawk that acts as the school mascot, and a major scene in which Othello overhears Iago’s manipulated conversation about Desdemona’s alleged wrongdoings is played here like an average episode of I Love Lucy’s mistaken identities — and with no studio audience to provide the right guffaws. 3. O cordially welcomes you to the space jam. Yes, O is an Othello retelling, but it doubles as an unofficial Space Jam sequel too. Here, Odin’s crazed energy culminates in a massive slam dunk that ruins a backboard. This is a man who’s ready to do something really serious — like star in a Gatorade commercial or befuddle Wayne Knight. 2. Julia Stiles as you’ve never seen her before: emoting Loved her on Dexter, loathed her onstage in David Mamet’s Oleanna, and on the big screen, I find that Julia Stiles is often — uninspired? Or just aloof? In O, the 10 Things I Hate About You’s titular hater surprises us all with a fresh, even harrowing performance. In one partially disturbing (but mostly over-the-top) scene, Othello’s rising rage and suspicions bubble over in a sexual assault. She looks pained here. Not to defend Odin, but the floating image of Andrew Keegan in flagrante delicto might inspire me to do sex a little faster too. Likely for a very different reason. 1. Josh Hartnett, super-villain The most lame/fantastic parts of O belong to the man who spooked us in Halloween H20, glowered at us in The Virgin Suicides, and shocked us with samurai-western credibility in Bunraku: Gen Y figurehead Josh Hartnett. It’s just inconceivable that a man as doe-eyed and baggy-sweatered as Hartnett would be so jealous of a teammate that he’d drive him to suicide. It’s even more inconceivable that he’d spout the following dialogue to Odin: “LIsten, I know you grew up in the hood, so you’ve seen a lot of hustlers, but the one thing I do know better than you is white girls.” That was real. Hartnett can’t handle the profound villainy of Iago or the slangy dialogue of O, so there’s no telling why he was cast here. All I know is I love that Iago’s most damning trait is his adorableness; it makes his lines like, “The point is, I’m the MVP on this piece of shit team!” seem cute — and true. You are the MVP, Mr. Hartnett. Even though your performance here makes Ryan Philippe’s in Cruel Intentions seem like dramatic masterwork. Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Trio Of Stars Cast In Lifetime, USA Aircraft aircraft pilots

Matthew MacCaull (The Killing) and Ken Luckey (Mission Park) are actually cast in Lifetime’s drama pilot American Housewife starring Melanie Griffith, who's executive creating with husband/creating partner Antonio Banderas. The Fox TV Art galleries-produced project concentrates on Leila (Griffith), a apparently perfect housewife living the American Dream inside an affluent neighborhood married to wealthy up-and-coming politician Stanford (Jeffrey Nordling) with whom she's three grown or almost-grown children. McCaull, repped by Off-shoreline Artists Management, may have a awesome but brilliant campaign aide for Stanford, on whom Leila’s youngest daughter (Kacey Rohl) features a crush. Luckey, repped by Greene & Affiliate marketers and Emerald Talent Group, may have the first boy, a gifted but somewhat tough to depend on artist and painter who's thinking about his mother’s odd behavior. Brandon Jay McLaren has grew to become part of USA’s untitled drama pilot from White-colored Collar creator Rob Eastin. The project, also from Fox TV Art galleries, follows agents from various federal and local agencies (DEA, FBI, LAPD) who reside in an undercover house in La. McLaren, repped by Pakula/King & Affiliate marketers and Hofflund/Polone, may have Dale Jakes, a quick-tempered U.S. Customs agent living in the home.

Olympian Lindsey Vonn Divorcing Husband Thomas Vonn

Lindsey Vonn and Thomas Vonn Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn has began divorce proceedings along with her husband and chief agent, Thomas Vonn, Yahoo! reviews. Become popular current day latest news Vonn, additionally to her husband, rose to fame a year ago when she won the gold medal for downhill skiing within the Vancouver Olympics. Thomas, a 2002 Olympian, transformed Lindsey's father, Alan Kildow, as her coach. Father and daughter remain estranged, according to Yahoo!. "It becomes an very difficult time throughout my own existence which i really hope the media and my fans can respect my requirement of privacy relating to this matter," she mentioned in the statement. Lindsey, 27, and Thomas, 35, married in September of 2007.

'John Carter' Poster: Finally Learn What Was Stalking Val Kilmer in 'Red Planet'

'John Carter,' based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel 'A Princess of Mars,' is set to hit theaters in March. There's going to be a new trailer on Thursday, but, to hold you over, there's also a new poster which is... not a lot different than other movie posters that have "Mars" in the title. I mean, it's red because Mars is the Red Planet. And 'Red Planet' was the name of a 2000 Val Kilmer film that came out only eight months after a movie called 'Mission to Mars' -- which also has a red poster. Since the new 'John Carter' poster isn't very interesting on it's own, it is kind of fun to imagine that John Carter is walking, ever so stoically, over to Val Kilmer -- casting that elongated shadow as a result of the blazing hot sun in the background. What will happen when they meet? Will Kilmer chomp his teeth -- a la Tom "Iceman" Kasansky -- at John Carter? Will John Carter respond, "Hey, Val, my movie is going to make a lot more than the paltry $33 million your movie made worldwide." Well, we'll find out on Thursday! Until then, here's your new poster. [via Apple] You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter. Follow Moviefone on Twitter.

'Twilight' boffo with $283.5 mil worldwide

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 1'Summit's "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning - Part 1" may have fallen missing a collection-best domestic debut having its thought $139.5 million, nevertheless the penultimate "Twilight" still handled to overcome its three forerunners around the worldwide scale, gathering an impressive $283.5 million."Breaking Beginning" first demonstrated just before "New Moon," which made $274.8 million throughout its first worldwide weekend. That pic, however, opened up up inside the U.S. this same weekend this past year with $142.8 million. (The franchise's third offering "Eclipse" bowed mid-week a year ago, producing $157.6 000 0000 in your area within the first five days, getting a worldwide debut of $261.6 000 0000.)The second-to-last "Twilight" pic now stands since the fifth-finest domestic opening ever directly behind "New Moon" as well as the tenth-finest global launch ever.Overall weekend totals were up roughly 15% inside the same sesh a year ago, when "Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" set the bar high by getting a dent of $125 million.Warner Bros.' 3d toon follow-up "Happy Foot Two," meanwhile, drastically underperformed its predecessor, bowing to have an thought $22 million versus. the 2D original's $41.5 million opening in 2006.The toon, which skewed 54% female, may have lost numerous its femme base to "Breaking Beginning," especially moms taking teens and tween women.Allotted for just about any reported $135 million, "Happy Foot Two" should have better luck with family auds next weekend, even though it also faces a crowded area as three other mostly family-skewing photos bow country wide on Wednesday."We must have that holiday play time under our belt," mentioned Warner domestic distribution prexy Serta Fellman. "By next Monday, we should have a better concept of where we stand."Just like a more efficient counterprogramming bid, Fox Searchlight's "The Descendants" broke to the domestic B.O.'s top by getting an thought three-day take of $1.2 million from just 29 locations. Pic, which bowed Wednesday for just about any five-day cume of $1.3 million, carried out to offered-out tests and accomplished good success in the mainly art house run through which "Twilight" likely was absent.Searchlight expects to supply the film a considerable mug Thanksgiving weekend, by getting one more roughly 400 playdates set to bow November. 23. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

'Chuck' Star Yvonne Strahovski to experience Researcher in 'I, Frankenstein' (Exclusive)

Yvonne Strahovski Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski is within final discussions to become listed on I, Frankenstein, the experience monster movie starring Aaron Eckhart. Miranda Otto, most widely known for taking part in Eowyn within the The almighty from the Rings movies, is also aboard.our editor recommends'Chuck's' Yvonne Strahovski Talks the ultimate Season: 'We're Pushing It'Reason No. 1 The Reason Why You Need THR's Comic-Disadvantage Problem: Yvonne Strahovski Having a Lightsaber Stuart Beattie is pointing the Lakeshore/Lionsgate movie, which follows Frankenstein's monster (Eckhart) vacillating between humanity and monsterdom while being went after by devils attempting to gain the key of his reanimated corpse. Strahovski will have the feminine lead, a researcher focusing on reanimating the dead and fooled into employed by devils trying to create an military from the undead. Otto is playing the full from the gargoyles who would like to help Frankenstein. Bill Nighy has already been in discussions to experience the best choice from the devils while Socratis Otto (no regards to Miranda) is his right hands guy. The film, with different comic by Kevin Grevioux, is because of shoot this winter around australia. Hopscotch Features is joining up with Lakeshore to create the film. Lionsgate will distribute. Strahovski, repped by IFA Talent Agency and KcKeon Myones Management, is overall her operate on Chuck, that is in the final season. She was last seen around the large-screen using the Killer Elite with Robert DeNiro and Jason Statham. She lately wrapped the Anne Fletcher-directed comedy My Mother's Curse, which stars Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand. Australian actress Otto starred within the pilot for Locke & Key, which modified the Joe Hill comic, and starred in ABC's Cashmere Mafia. She's repped by Gersh and Management 360 in addition to U . s . Agent's around australia. Email: Borys.Package@thr.com Twitter: @borys_package Yvonne Strahovski

'The Help's' Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer to provide at THR's Women in Entertainment Breakfast

La, CA - November. 16, 2011--The Hollywood Reporter introduced the Help co-stars Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis, will join Kathryn Stockett, author from the novel The Assistance, inside a special presentation at THR's 20th annual Women in Entertainment breakfast, presented by Lifetime, on December seventh.our editor recommendsTHR's Actress Roundtable: Six A-Listers Seem Off on Bad Reviews, Nudity and Playing HitlerBehind the Moments of THR's Actress Roundtable 2011The Help's Retro, Southern Style Jane Fonda to become Honored at THR's Women in Entertainment Breakfast The Assistance stars and author is going to be announcing The Hollywood Reporter's Coaching Program, which pairs around 15 inner-city women between your age range of 16-17 with top-level female professionals within the entertainment industry. PHOTOS: Behind the curtain of THR's Actress Roundtable 2011 This program, produced 3 years ago together with Large Siblings Large Siblings, has incorporated mentors like Anne Sweeney, Sue Kroll, Nancy Josephson, Melanie Prepare and Abbe Raven. This season's mentors and protégées is going to be introduced in the honours by Spencer, Davis and Stockett. THR's Actress Roundtable: Six A-Listers Seem Off on Bad Reviews, Nudity and Playing Hitler THR's Women in Entertainment breakfast, presented by Lifetime, recognizes the 100 most effective women in the market. This season, the big event will recognition Academy Top rated actress Jane Fonda using the 2011 Sherry Lansing Leadership Honours and can pay tribute towards the late producer Laura Ziskin. PHOTOS: How 'The Help' Was Cast Additionally for their presentation, Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis, both Oscar challengers for his or her performances within the Help, were the only real two stars in the same movie selected to sign up in THR's first honours roundtable of year. The stars have previously won the very best Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award for his or her roles within the Help in the 15th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Honours, the very first honours show from the Oscar season. Related Subjects Viola Davis The Assistance Octavia Spencer

'Breaking Dawn' Premiere: Christina Perri Goes Behind the curtain

Since you clearly can't get an adequate amount of 'Breaking Beginning,' here comes pop singer Christina Perri having a behind-the-moments look in the large 'Twilight' premiere in La on Monday evening. "It's surprising this really is real existence," self-referred to Twi-hard Perri told America online Music. (Perri led the song "A 1000 Years" towards the 'Breaking Dawn' soundtrack.) You can observe Perri's own photos at Moviefone sister site America online Music, and appearance back here all week for many broadened 'Twilight' coverage. Watch Perri's video for "A 1000 Years" ahead. 'Breaking Dawn' has gone out in theaters on Friday, y'all! [via America online Music] [Photo: Christina Perri] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

ABC Charging $1.6-$1.7 Million For Oscar Ad Spots

The 2012 Oscars broadcast is being sold to advertisers for slightly less than its 2011 counterpart.our editor recommendsHave The Oscars Gone to the Dogs?!Billy Crystal Replaces Eddie Murphy for Oscars: What Hollywood is SayingRicky Gervais Offers to Host Oscars Following Eddie Murphy, Brett Ratner ExitsEddie Murphy's 6 Biggest Missteps Before Bailing on the Oscars ABC, which is airing the 84th annual awards show telecast Feb. 26, is seeking between $1.6 and $1.7 million for each 30-second spot of advertising to air during the Academy Awards, Advertising Age reports. PHOTOS: Oscar Hosts Through the Years These figures are slightly below the 2011 broadcast, which netted closer to $1.7 million per ad, but still higher than the most recent low of $1.3 million in 2009 (brought on by the show's continually decreased ratings and the country's recession). PHOTOS: Oscar Show Moments Last year's widely-criticized show, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, may be partly to blame for the decrease, which also saw a nine percent drop in ratings from 2010's telecast. 37.9 million viewers watched The King's Speech take home Best Picture in 2011 while in 2010, 41.7 million were tuned in to see The Hurt Lockerwin the top honor. VIDEOS: The Biggest Failed Jokes at the Academy Awards The upcoming show has already seen its share of drama, with producer Brett Ratner and host Eddie Murphy stepping down from their duties last week (amidst controversy surrounding Ratner's use of a homophobic slur), four months before the show is set to air. Brian Grazer and veteran host Billy Crystal have since been named as their replacements. Related Topics ABC Billy Crystal Brett Ratner Brian Grazer Eddie Murphy Oscars Oscars 2011

'The Iron Lady' UK Trailer: Meryl Streep Is Margaret Thatcher

This past August, the first teaser for Meryl Streep's 'The Iron Lady' debuted, and although Streep is terrific in pretty much everything, her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher didn't go over well with some in England. Well, perhaps this new UK trailer will change their minds. Despite drawing the ire of a few across the pond, Streep's already been generating early Oscar buzz for her role as Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady,' which follows the former prime minister's transformation from research chemist to politician. Also, is that 'Our House' by English ska band Madness playing in the background? Possibly! Let's hope there's more British '80s music going on throughout the movie. 'The Iron Lady' hits theaters on Dec. 30. [via The Daily Mail] [Photo: The Weinstein Co.] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Prolific Kenya biz looks for support

'The First Grader,' starring Lwander Jawar and Emily Njoki, was a big winner at Kenya's film festival, but helmer Justin Chadwick had to go to the U.K. Film Council to fund the pic. NAIROBI -- Justin Chadwick's "The First Grader," a BBC Films/U.K. Films Council co-production shot on location in Kenya, swept the awards at Kenya's recent film festival. But the success of the movie, which is based on a true story, underscored some of the problems facing the fledgling industry in this East African nation.Though Kenya has often served as a picturesque backdrop for big-budget foreign productions, the local biz has struggled to find its own footing, even when telling its own stories.Steep lensing fees and poor distribution networks have handcuffed independent helmers, while the thriving Riverwood industry, which churns out hundreds of low-budget, straight-to-video pics each year, hasn't generated enough revenue to spur growth and reach a mass-market audience.Filmmakers are hoping the long-awaited creation of an official film policy will address some of the industry's biggest challenges.According to Kenya Film Commission CEO Peter Mutie, the policy will allow for the creation of a film fund; the introduction of incentives for local and foreign productions; the establishment of a national film institute; and increased coordination between the various government agencies involved in the filmmaking process.The policy will also require Kenyan broadcasters to make at least 40% of the content they air local, and will put pressure on pubcaster KBC to invest more heavily in the Kenyan industry; both measures should be a shot in the arm for local filmmakers.But while the policy is comprehensive as drafted, it could have a long legal road ahead, according to Jim Shamoon, managing director of production services company Blue Sky Films. The introduction of a new constitution this year, which transfers a significant amount of power to local governments, means that the policy will now have to be negotiated with dozens of county legislatures."We don't think it's going to be implemented anytime soon," Shamoon says.Still, Shamoon says the government has shown a commitment to pushing the policy through, and expects it to continue to do so in the industry's bid to strengthen its role as a regional powerhouse.With nearly two dozen East African filmmakers invited to take part in the 10-day festival, KIFF underscored the growing efforts to increase cooperation between the region's film industries.Rwandan helmer Eric Kabera, who recently launched East Africa's first film institute in Kigali, says regional filmmakers "need to have a platform to share and exchange ideas."And while last year's formation of the East African Community Customs Union should eventually allow for the free flow of labor and goods between the region's member states, Mutie also points to the widely spoken lingua franca of Swahili as another advantage for East African filmmakers."The population within the region is almost 140 million," Mutie says. "That is a big market for the film industry."So far, though, the desire to integrate hasn't translated into concrete results. Just two of the five member states of the East African Community have their own film commissions, and talk of co-production treaties and an East African film fund have stalled."To engage effectively, we also need that structure (in other countries)," Mutie says. "You are as strong as your weakest link."East African filmmakers are nevertheless building ties on their own, with international collaborations on the rise and plans to integrate local film festivals into a regional network. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Brett Ratner's Oscars Alternative Is John Grazer

Developments round the Academy awards front are coming fast and furious. First came word that Brett Ratner was resigning as Oscars producer thinking about the questionable remarks he gained within a "Tower Heist" public screening the other day. Under 24 several hours later, Eddie Murphy dropped out since the show's host, departing the finest evening in Hollywood without a few its most critical creative support beams. Well, one or more of people holes continues to be filled: Imagine Entertainment co-founder John Grazer remains attracted onto exchange Ratner as producer in the 2012 Academy awards. "John Grazer can be a famous filmmaker who within the last two-and-a-half decades has produced an assorted and amazing body at work,In . Academy leader Tom Sherak mentioned in the statement released on Oscars.org. "He'll certainly bring his tremendous talent, creativity and associations for the Oscars." Grazer is positioned to co-produce alongside industry veteran Don Mischer. "It's very satisfying to sign up a demonstrate that honors excellence inside the medium that i have devoted lots of my career," Grazer mentioned of his appointment. "Don can be a legend, and i am excited to make use of him." It must be a significant friendly vary from the guard on all fronts: Grazer and Ratner labored carefully together round the recently released "Tower Heist," and so the handoff feels natural externally and, one imagines, internally. Furthermore, you will find talk by utilizing Grazer locked and loaded, possibly Murphy will reconsider his decision to go away the Oscars. However, who knowsperhaps its perfect time for your Muppets to a part of and save the following day of! Who you think should host the Oscars? Reveal inside the comments section and also on Twitter!

'StreetDance' helmers attracted on for 'Walking on Sunshine'

Vertigo Films has attracted on "StreetDance 3D' company company directors Max and Dania to helm the 3 dimensional musical "Walking on Sunshine." IM Global originates aboard as worldwide telemarketer with Vertigo disseminating inside the U.K. Companies made the announcement Friday within the American Film Market. British-based Max and Dania first demonstrated with "StreetDance 3dInch and so are in publish-production on "StreetDance 2." The duo's wrapped on "Let us Say...?,Inch a short film for your cultural Olympiad in the Olympic games after being attracted onto represent commercial British cinema with the BBC and Film Four. "Walking on Sunshine" is positioned striking tunes in the eighties and focuses on a parent or gaurdian and daughter who unconsciously fall for a similar guy in sun-drenched The nation. Producers are planning a release for 2013 and possess introduced in John O'Connell ("Moulin Rouge") since the musical choreographer. Producer James Richardson mentioned, "While using huge worldwide success in the first 'StreetDance' movie, Max and Dania are presently two of the extremely commercial company company directors in the U.K. and there is nobody better placed to direct a sizable, commercial, fun-filled musical." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Altered distrib landscape

The Weinstein Co.$277 millionThanks to the Oscar-winning hit "The King's Speech," the Weinstein Co. was the royalty of the 2011 indie realm. This year, "The King's Speech" tallied $115.9 million of its remarkable $138.8 million domestic total, which repped 42% of TWC's entire year-to-date tally. Other than "Speech," TWC has had a just-tolerable year, with its second-best title so far, "Scream 4," earning just $38.2 million. That's a far cry from the franchise's third entry, which grossed $89 million Stateside in 2000. The distrib's summer entries, "Spy Kids: All the Time in the World," "Our Idiot Brother" and "Apollo 18" round out TWC's top five, though none of them became major B.O. players. Up Next: "My Week with Marilyn" and "The Artist" (Nov. 23), "W.E." (Dec. 9), "The Iron Lady" (Dec. 16)Lionsgate$183 millionIf only Lionsgate could have ended its year back in April. The minimajor had notable spring successes, "The Lincoln Lawyer" and Tyler Perry's "Madea's Big Happy Family," before winding down with a string of late-summer B.O. duds, including "Conan the Barbarian," "Warrior" and "Abduction." (Lionsgate won't have another release until "The Possession" on Jan. 6.) "Lincoln Lawyer," a modestly budgeted courtroom potboiler, grossed $58 million, followed closely by Perry's latest offering, which ended its U.S. run with $53 million. Though Lionsgate has an ace on the horizon, with "The Hunger Games" franchise. Up Next: "The Hunger Games" (March 23)Relativity Media$145 millionRelativity Media made an auspicious start for a rookie, collecting enough coin for third place. But like Lionsgate, Relativity saw most of its biz come from the first quarter, with March release "Limitless" leading the pack with nearly $80 million. Otherwise, it's been a pretty uneven year for Relativity, since the $40 million "Season of the Witch" -- the company's first inhouse release -- ranks second with $24.8 million. "Shark Night 3D" ($18.8 million) and "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer" ($15 million) both proved underwhelming for Relativity this summer. Relativity has something to prove with "Immortals." Up Next: "Immortals" (Nov. 11)Focus Features$123 millionLast year, Focus made good with summer hit "The Kids Are All Right," grossing more than $20 million through mid-October. And in 2011, the company has done even better, though the majority of its year-to-date tally comes from a pair of first-quarter wide releases, "Hanna" and "The Eagle." The former stands as Focus' best performer so far, with $40 million domestically, while "The Eagle" at No. 3 tallied just shy of $20 million. Focus acquired distribution rights to Miramax title "The Debt," which launched Labor Day weekend and has cumed a respectable $31 million in the U.S. "One Day," Focus' other summer wide release, struggled to build much buzz, earning $13.8 million. Results for the distrib's platform rollouts were mixed: "Jane Eyre" did well in March with $11 million, while "Beginners" -- Focus' attempt at duplicating "Kids"-like indie success -- topped out at just shy of $6 million. Up Next: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (Dec. 9), "Pariah" (Dec. 28)FilmDistrict$117 millionThe year's second rookie distrib to focus on mid-range-budget fare, FilmDistrict, has made the most out of only a few releases. As of mid-October, the company launched just three films: "Insidious," "Drive" and "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark." With "Insidious" grossing a stellar $54 million, FilmDistrict took a page from Par's "Paranormal Activity" success (pic was produced by "Paranormal" alum Jason Blum and Oren Peli). "Drive," which FilmDistrict acquired late last year, has grossed $34 million as of Oct. 31, while "Dark," another orphaned Miramax title, should top out Stateside somewhere north of $25 million. Johnny Depp starrer "The Rum Diary" bowed soft on Oct. 28. Up Next: "In the Land of Blood and Honey" (Dec. 23)Summit Entertainment$116 millionWithout a summer "Twilight" entry, 2011 year-to-date totals for Summit seem a bit depressed vs. this time last year. But give the distrib a couple of weeks for things to pick up, as penultimate "Twilight" offering "Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" launches Nov. 18. Other than the mega-hit franchise, Summit had success with April release "Source Code," which grossed $54.7 million domestically. The company's fall pic "50/50" did OK business at the box office; 3D pic "The Three Musketeers" struggled, as did specialty pair "The Beaver" and "A Better Life." Up Next: "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" (Nov. 18), "The Darkest Hour (Dec. 25)Fox Searchlight$102 millionIn typical Fox Searchlight fashion, the majority of its year-to-date grosses came from an awards heavyhitter released the year before -- think "Crazy Heart," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Juno." Add to that list "Black Swan," of whose total domestic cume ($106 million), nearly half of that ($59 million) was earned in 2011. But beyond Searchlight's Oscar fodder, little else has worked -- "The Tree of Life" and "Win Win" are important exceptions with $13 million and $10 million, respectively. A trio of Sundance pickups saw mixed results: "The Art of Getting By" and "Another Earth" both stalled at the B.O., while "Martha Marcy May Marlene" got off to a strong start on Oct. 21. Expect George Clooney family-dramedy "The Descendants" to occupy one of Searchlight's top B.O. slots next year. Up Next: "The Descendants" (Nov. 16), "Shame" (Dec. 2)Sony Pictures Classics$86 millionIt's been a Woody Allen-dominated year for Sony Pictures Classics. The helmer's latest film, "Midnight in Paris," not only debuted with the year's highest opening per-screen average for a traditional theatrical release ($99,834) but also turned in the best perf of a specialty pic this year so far, with $55 million domestically. "Midnight" provided a nice cushion for SPC, whose other 2011 releases haven't reached "Midnight's" lofty heights, although Sundance pickup "The Guard" perfomed decently ($5 million), as has Pedro Almodovar's Cannes pic "The Skin I Live In" released Oct. 14. SPC's other fest buys, including critical hits "Higher Ground" and "Take Shelter," have had a tougher time at the B.O., struggling to crack the $1 million mark. Up Next: "A Dangerous Method" (Nov. 23), "Carnage" (Dec. 16), "A Separation" (Dec. 30)CBS Films$57 millionA pair of pics landed CBS Films among the year's top indie distribs, but one of them, "Beastly," had been pushed back from 2010 to March 4. The teen-targeted film was positioned to be the distrib's "Twilight"-esque offering, though it cumed just $27.9 million. "The Mechanic," CBS Films' second 2011 release, did only slightly better with $29 million domestically. And that's it for the distrib this year; it'll kick off 2012 with Daniel Radcliffe horror-thriller "The Woman in Black" on Feb. 3, followed by "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," which CBS Films bought at the Toronto Film Fest on March 2.Open Road Films$25 millionAs the newest company to enter the distribution game, Open Road Films hardly has had time to prove itself. But with one release under its belt, "Killer Elite," the startup did well enough to land a spot among the top 10 indies. Launched earlier this year as a joint venture between AMC Entertainment and Regal Cinemas, Open Road faced skepticism straight off as some bizzers questioned whether exhibitors (particularly AMC and Regal) would play favorites with Open Road pics. That hasn't happened. Open Road has two pics skedded for 2012, "The Grey" and "Silent House," with a potential gem in 2013, "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer's "The Host" feature adaptation. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Ratings: Man Up! and Tim Allen's Sitcom Continue to Slide

Man Up! If life is tough for today's men, getting folks to watch that is even tougher. ABC's tandem of Man Up! and Last Man Standing keeps losing viewers, though the downward spiral has stabilized. The half-hour ABC sitcom about guys grappling with what it's like to be a modern man rustled up 6.41 million people and notched a 1.8 rating among industry-prized 18-to-49-year-olds. Last week it rousted 6.75 million viewers - down about 13 percent from the 7.80 million who tuned in for its debut -- and it sank in the demo to a 1.9 rating from 2.4. Photo timeline: The emasculation of men on TV Tim Allen's new sitcom, which precedes it at 8/7c, grabbed 9.30 million and notched a 2.6 demo rating. Last week, it enticed 9.82 million and a 2.8. So, there's been a leveling off of the tune-out: Some 10.20 million watched Week 2, after 12.95 million checked out the debut. Also in the first hour of Tuesday's prime time, CBS' No. 1 show NCIS attracted 19.38 million viewers (3.9 demo rating) while Fox's Glee and the first hour of NBC's The Biggest Loser lured 7.48 million (2.9) and 6.48 million (2.2), respectively. The CW's 90210 delivered 1.50 million (0.7). Read our Glee recap At 9/8c, NCIS: Los Angeles attracted 15.59 million (3.4 demo rating) vs. Dancing with the Stars' results show (15.21 million/2.8) and the second part of Loser (6.28 million/2.4). On Fox, fresh outings of New Girl and Raising Hope aired after a month's hiatus, luring 7.53 million fan and 3.5 demo rating and 5.49 million/2.5, respectively). All of the Fox shows - absent most of October because of the baseball playoffs and The X Factor - were down from their previous first-run episodes. A new Ringer episode had 1.80 million (0.8) on the CW. Unforgettable won prime time's final hour Tuesday with 11.27 million viewers (2.3 demo rating) vs. Body of Proof (10.06 million/2.2 - its biggest audience of the season) and Parenthood (5.29 million/2.2).

Time Warner posts boffo third quarter

Time Warner revenue jumped 11 percent to $7.1 billion last quarter powered by a rocking Warner Bros. and reflecting the highest growth rate since the third quarter of 2007, the media giant said Wednesday. Net profit surged to $822 million from $52 million. Studio revenue grew 19 percent to $3.3 billion led by the strong theatrical performance of ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2'' and higher television license fees from the ''The Big Bang Theory.'' The last installment of the Harry Potter franchise took in $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office, making it the third highest grossing film ever, the company said. Studio operating income jumped 162 percent to $524 million on higher revenue, lower film valuation adjustments and lower pre-release advertising expenses. The company led by Jeff Bewkes stressed its focus on experimentation with new platforms to keep the business vital. Last month, Warner Home Video released the first two movies with UltraViolet-enabled digital copies, ''Horrible Bosses'' and ''Green Lantern.'' Consumers can access these pics and others as they come up on multiple platforms through Flixster and going forward through a growing number of UltraViolet services. Other highlights during the quarter include a licensing pact with Netflix to stream previous seasons of scripted series on The CW network or that will premiere on the network through the 2014-15 season. The CW also announced a five-year licensing agreement with Hulu last week for the rights to stream in-season episodes of its programming on the Hulu Plus subscription service and Hulu's free ad-supported service. ''Our results demonstrate the success of Time Warner's focus on investing in great content that audiences love and leading the evolution of how it's delivered,'' said Bewkes. . At cable networks, Turner Broadcasting and HBO, revenue rose 7 percent to $3.2 billion. Subscription revenue rose 6 percent and advertising revenue jumped 9 percent. Operating income slipped by 4 percent on higher sports and entertainment programming and marketing costs. Highlights include TNT's ''Falling Skies,'' which the company said ranked as basic cable's highest-rated new series during the quarter. CNN viewership was up nearly 50 percent year-on-year among adults 25-54 in prime time. Time Inc. publishing, revenue was about flat at $889 million, reflecting flat subscription revenue and a 3 percent dip in advertising revenues -- partly due to the transfer of management of SI.com and Golf.com to Turner in the fourth quarter of 2010. Time Inc. operating Income fell 12 percent to $124 million on lower revenue and higher expenses, including increased paper costs. During the first nine months of 2011, Time Inc. maintained its 21.1 percent leading share of overall domestic magazine market. It also said it had repurchased $3.7 billion worth of shares year to date. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com