FilmDistrict takes a 'Safety' course

'Safety Not Guaranteed'In its first and likely only pickup from Sundance, FilmDistrict has acquired U.S. right sto "Safety Not Guaranteed," plotting a robust theatrical release for the sci-fi-tinged oddball comedy that marks the feature debuts of helmer Colin Trevorrow and scribe Derek Connolly.Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass topline the Big Beach Films production, whose sale was repped by ICM and Cinetic. Deal included a seven-figure advance with a significant P&A agreement.As Jeanney and Bob Berney are exiting FilmDistrict, the pickup was somewhat unexpected, though the distributor that unearthed the critics' darling "Drive" couldn't resist the Sundance Fest screenplay winner.Like "Drive," "Safety" tells the story of another loner -- one who places a classified ad for a time-travel partner -- and debuted Sunday in the U.S. dramatic competition. It was considered one of the more commercially skewing titles despite a lack of major movie stars.Canadian rights were acquired by Canuck distribber Alliance.Variety's Justin Chang called it a "scrappy and romantic romp that serves up some nice soul-searching moments alongside a steady stream of laughs" and closes with an "unexpectedly exhilarating finale."ICM, which originally packaged the film, reps Trevorrow, Connolly, Mark & Jay Duplass and castmember Jeff Garlin. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Social TV: Nfl Encourages Players to Tweet Throughout Professional Bowl

2011 Nfl Professional Bowl The Country's Football League's policy limitations players by utilizing Twitter one hour half an hour before a game title title and until postgame interviews are completed. But throughout Sunday's Professional Bowl in Hawaii, the Nfl is not just encouraging it - they introduced they might be creating your personal computer on each sideline for your players to take advantage of.Our top 14 tweets in the Golden GlobesPlayers may even be capable of tweet utilizing their cell phones, only before the sport and throughout halftime. To streamline chatter about the sport (and many most likely start a trending subject), players will probably be using #ProBowl inside their tweets."It becomes an innovative approach to further engage our fans who've an pressing appetite for football," league representative John McCarthy mentioned. "Nfl players are actually very taking part in social media and experiencing talking with fans. The smoothness in the Professional Bowl enables us to own players tweet throughout the sport.InchSociable TV: Will White-colored Collar's Creator use Twitter to permit fans decide the show's ending?Do not expect the social integration throughout games being customary - the league states it doesn't plan to implement the idea through the standard season or 2010 national football league 2010 nfl playoffs.

Moody's reviews Lionsgate credit score

Moody's Traders Services are looking at its credit score on Lionsgate for any possible upgrade following its $412.5 million utilized buyout of Summit Entertainment.Moody's made the disclosure Friday, 2 days after Standard & Poors introduced it had been thinking about upgrading of Lionsgate's rating, saying purchasing Summit could place the studio on the sounder financial footing.Moody's stated the purchase could generate significant financial savings as well as broaden its revenue stream with the help of the effective "Twilight" franchise."We feel the purchase has potential positive credit implications for Lionsgate, and throughout the review, we'll assess its proper and financial impact," Moody's stated. "We feel it could cause significant financial savings and can help broaden Lionsgate's revenue stream with the addition of the effective Twilight franchise that has highly visible income through 2013."Moody's rates Lionsgate at B2 and gave the minimajor an optimistic outlook this year. S&P placed its "B-" corporate credit score on what's known as "CreditWatch with positive implications" and predicted the offer could finish up reducing Lionsgate's debt "meaningfully."Wall Streeters expect Summit's "Twilight" franchise to inject half a billion dollars of fresh cash into Lionsgate within the next 5 years.Lionsgate shares returned greater following a Jan. 13 deal announcement, closing Thursday at $9.48. They retreated Friday by 11 cents to $9.36 but have still acquired 9% within the five publish-deal periods.Liosngate introduced Friday that Summit cake toppers Take advantage of Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger had decided to run the film division of Lionsgate. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Mike Posner Opens Up In 'No Room For Rockstars' Clip

Mike Posner is a busy man. That's what you're left with after this clip from the upcoming rock-doc, "No Room for Rockstars." The documentary, which is premiering at the independent film festival Slamdance, brings viewers an in-depth look behind the scenes of the Vans Warped Tour and the many musicians playing on it. The crew on "No Room for Rockstars" shot over 300 hours of footage in order to portray exactly what it's like as a touring musicians these days and to get a sense of what the alternative music scene is like today in general. For Posner's portion of the documentary, the singer opens up about what his home life is like and what touring means for him. The Warped gave him the unique opportunity to play 30 minute shows and then run off to the next gig. The clip gives a real sense of the on-your-toes lifestyle that the Warped Tour performers live while they're moving around the country. The documentary attempts to look at the Warped Tour from all angles, not just from the point of view of the many performing acts. The film also follows the stage managers who live for the tour, as well as, the young musicians who play out of vans in the parking lot, hoping that someone will hear them and give them their big break. "No Room for Rockstars" will be out this spring. What did you think of the clip from "No Room for Rockstars"? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Antipiracy bills postponed in Congress

Hollywood-backed antipiracy legislation delayed on Capitol Hill today, as Senate and House versions were postponed to develop major changes towards the bills.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) stated that he's putting off a election on the Senate version of antipiracy legislation, following a storm of protest along with a defection of numerous supporters managed to get doubtful he had the votes to find the bill towards the floor.Reid had was firm on intends to hold a procedural election around the Safeguard IP Act on Tuesday, but introduced today more there was a time needed to sort out an agreement.Reid stated inside a statement, "I admire the job that Chairman Leahy has put in this bill. I encourage him to carry on engaging with all of stakeholders to forge an account balance between safeguarding Americans' intellectual property, and looking after openness and innovation on the web. We made good progress with the discussions we have locked in recent days, and i'm positive that people can achieve an agreement within the coming days."In the home, Judiciary Committee chairman Lamar Cruz (R-Texas) stated the committee would postpone thought on the Stop Online Piracy Act until there's wider agreement on the solution."The committee continues use both copyright proprietors and Internet companies to build up plans that combat online piracy and safeguard America's intellectual property," Cruz stated. "We welcome input all organizations and people who've a genuine difference of opinion on how to address this common problem."He stated that whenever talking with experts, "It's obvious that we have to revisit the approach how better to address the issue of foreign thieves that steal then sell American inventions and items."Among the chief experts from the legislation in the home, Repetition. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), features alternative legislation which content proprietors could file complaints using the Worldwide Trade Commission to do something to choke off support of websites that traffic in infringing content. But supporters of SOPA and Safeguard IP state that the proposal would expand the paperwork which the fix for fighting piracy wouldn't be effective.The response from Rupert Murdoch, via Twitter: "Mega loads! 1 week earlier and things could be different. Even some solons might have retrieved their courage."Leahy stated he hopes "other people of Congress will not simply get up on hollow offers to try to eliminate online thievery by foreign rogue websites, and can rather use me to transmit a bill towards the President's desk this season.InchBut Leahy, possibly probably the most visible champion from the legislation in Congress, had wished that regardless of the online protest now the Senate will have a energetic floor debate on Tuesday.He added the "day can come once the Senators who forced this move will appear back and realize they provided a knee-jerk response to a monumental problem. Somewhere in China today, in Russia today, as well as in a number of other nations that don't respect American intellectual property, crooks who just peddle in counterfeit items and stolen American content are smugly watching the way the U . s . States Senate made the decision it wasn't even worth discussing how you can stop the overseas crooks from draining our economy." Contact Ted Manley at ted.manley@variety.com

VIDEO: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Miracle Pays Tribute to I Like Lucy

My Little Pony, I Like Lucy My Little Pony: Friendship Is Miracle features a knack for coping with popular culture references and adding a pony twist, whether it is emulating The Big Lebowski or reenacting Alien. This time around around, they'll tackle among I Like Lucy's most legendary moments: The chocolate factory. See the relaxation of current day news When the ponies works inside a cherry farm, they'll result in over their heads as things begin to move too quickly on their own account. (If possibly Lucy and Ethel had one more group of legs to pay for more chocolate!) Have a look in a sneak look of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Miracle, which airs 'life was imple' at 10/9c round the Hub:

Monday TV in Review: Alcatraz, Lost Girl, Being Human and More

Anna Silk Something less than a great escape, Fox's intriguing but formulaic Alcatraz (8/7c), from members of Lost's brain trust, proves a fairly tough "Rock" to crack. Basically a procedural with a 4400-style fantasy gimmick, this twists the America's Most Wanted concept by having its parade of bad guys emerge from the shadowy past: 250-odd inmates of the notorious California prison who vanished in 1963 and are now suddenly returning, without having aged a day, on missions of mayhem."No one's going to be able to find them because they don't exist," growls hard-boiled Sam Neill as the enigmatic agent in charge of a secret task force, a walking scowl who knows more than he's letting on. A good thing, because the mysteries of the mythology - Where were they for the last half-century? Who's pulling their violent strings? - are more compelling than the plodding mechanics of the weekly manhunt, led by Sarah Jones as a generically spunky detective assigned to the team, possibly because of her own family connection to the Big Mystery.Character is initially subsumed by the show's high concept, despite the engaging presence of Lost's Jorge Garcia as a smarter-than-he-looks Alcatraz scholar who comes along for the ride, though he has misgivings once he becomes aware of the danger they're all in. "This isn't a comic-book world, is it?" he wonders in tonight's second hour of back-to-back chases. (Could have fooled me.) Earlier, as the premise begins to reveal itself, he marvels, "Is anyone else's head exploding right now?" I wish.Want more fall TV news? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!It's the libido that's exploding on Syfy's provocative Lost Girl (10/9c), a saucy Canadian import that owes a big debt to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the sexually charged misadventures of a soul-sucking succubus named Bo (Anna Silk, an action-figure version of Mary Louise Parker). Bo knows she's special - her literal kiss of death is a giveaway - but she has to learn the hard way that's she part of the "Fae" race and must choose to follow either the Light or Dark subculture. "I was not expecting Thunderdome," she wisecracks when put to a violent survival test.With the help of a punk sidekick (scene stealer Ksenia Solo), Bo forges her own path, trying to keep her lethal desires under control, and the action and whimsy help compensate for an overall flatness in the rest of the ensemble casting and low-budget production. I'm still waiting to be seduced - but Lost Girl is already well into its second season in Canada, so there's plenty of time for it to find its way.Lost Girl is being scheduled as a companion piece to the second season of Syfy's underwhelming adaptation of the British Being Human (9/8c), where casting is even more of an issue. (The far superior original is returning to BBC America for a fourth season on Feb. 25, but minus some key cast members, so it remains to be seen how well that will hold up.)In Syfy's version of the three-ghouls-sharing-a-house premise, set in a very unconvincingly faked (in Montreal) Boston, dark-and-handsome Sam Witwer fares the best at conveying the timeless angst of reluctant vampire leader Aidan, and his is the strongest storyline, evoking the metaphor (familiar from Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries, to name just a few) of feeding as addiction. Abstaining from live kills though sorely tempted, Aidan finds himself playing babysitter and advisor to the Vampire Queen's daughter Suren, a pouty "errant princess" he must groom to take control of the Boston pack. As played by Dollhouse's exotic Dichen Lachman (who doesn't appear until next Monday's episode), Suren brings some much-needed attitude to this largely toothless enterprise.Aidan's roomies, earnest werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington, mugging as if he were in a sitcom) and shrill ghost Sally (the unbearable Meaghan Rath), are less palatable company, and it doesn't help that Huntington has zero chemistry with Kristen Hager as the nurse/girlfriend he may have turned wolf during the last full moon. (Hard to imagine, but MTV's Teen Wolf is telling this sort of story with much more verve, wit and style.)As the show's title suggests, what these characters desire above all is normalcy, the sense of being human. (Sally's best moment, in episode 2, comes when she takes possession of a partygoer's body and is blissfully able to experience the various senses again, if only briefly.) I'd settle for them just being interesting.A few more highlights on what is turning out to be a very busy holiday weekend:STILL WHITE HOT: Who doesn't love Betty White? (That is not a leading or rhetorical question; cynics need not respond.) The revered entertainer is officially turning 90 Tuesday, but NBC is celebrating her still-vibrant career and life tonight with the prime-time special Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America's Golden Girl (8/7c). Among those showing up: her co-stars from the legendary The Mary Tyler Moore Show - sadly, White is the only surviving member of The Golden Girls - and her current cohorts on Hot in Cleveland, plus comedy greats Carl Reiner and Carol Burnett. (As a bonus, Hallmark Channel is airing an 11-hour "Rose's Greatest Hits" marathon of Golden Girls classics, starting at 3 pm/2c.)And lest you think White is slowing down, NBC is following the all-star party with a sneak look at her latest venture, the hidden-camera comedy-reality show Betty White's Off Their Rockers (9:30/8:30c), a Punk'd gone AARP in which senior citizens engineer pranks on unsuspecting whippersnappers. Somehow I think telling all involved to grow up wouldn't do much good.THEIR ROOTS ARE SHOWING: More legends heard from, as Oprah Winfrey opens her California home to cast members of one of TV's most renowned and popular miniseries in the OWN special Oprah and the Legendary Cast of Roots 35 Years Later (8/7c). When the sprawling dramatization of Alex Haley's genealogical best-seller first aired in 1977, it was a true phenom, drawing an average audience of nearly 80 million. From her living room in Montecito, a symbol for many of how far African-Americans have come since the era of slavery, Oprah interviews Cicely Tyson, LeVar Burton, John Amos, Leslie Uggams, Louis Gossett Jr. and Ben Vereen about their participation in this iconic broadcast.ODDS AND ENDS: Did you notice the clean-shaven, shorter-haired version of Ashton Kutcher presenting at the Golden Globes Sunday night? On tonight's Two and a Half Men (9/8c, CBS), find out how that came to pass. ... A half-hour earlier, funny lady Jennifer Coolidge guests on 2 Broke Girls (8:30/7:30c) as the girls' new upstairs neighbor. ... Scandals threaten longtime relationships, when NY's mayor and Castle's patron (Derek Webster) is embroiled in a murder investigation on ABC's Castle (10:01/9:01c), and on CBS' Hawaii Five-0 (10/9c), McGarrett confronts Joe White (Terry O'Quinn) when he learns some shocking news from Chin Ho, while Danny's ex-wife goes into early labor. ... First lady Michelle Obama appears on Nickelodeon's iCarly (7:30/6:30c) in an episode honoring military families like Carly's.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

VIDEO: iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove Dishes on Working, Dancing with Guest Star Michelle Obama

Miranda Cosgrove, Michelle Obama If this involves guest stars, it does not get larger compared to First Lady. Inside a special episode of iCarly, "iMeet the very first Lady," Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) discovers that her military father will not have the ability to go back home on her birthday. But she rapidly cheers up when she gets to be a special visit from Michelle Obama herself who thanks Carly to be encouraging throughout her father's deployment. Exclusive Video: Get the first consider the iCarly special "iStill Psycho" "The Very First Lady watches iCarly together with her kids ... and she or he emerged using the idea to become on the program,Inch Cosgrove informs TVGuide.com within the video below. "She got pretty in it. She's a great spontaneity." Cosgrove and her castmates tested the episode at a number of military bases round the country, getting back using the First Lady for that final showing. Browse the interview below - plus, clips of Obama "random dancing!" "iMeet the very first Lady" airs on Monday at 7:30/6:30c on Nickelodeon.

U, Thinkway do 'Despicable' deal

'Despicable Me'Make way for more Minions.Universal is planning a major merchandising push around its "Despicable Me" sequel through an exclusive deal with Thinkway Toys when the film hits theaters in 2013.The partnership is significant because it's the first in a series of deals Universal plans to make around the toon and its characters -- including those mischievous yellow Minions -- to grow it into a major franchise for the studio and NBCUniversal overall to target the kids and family market.In addition to the sequel, a 3D theme park ride is skedded to open at Universal's Islands of Adventure, in Orlando, Fla., this summer, which will have retail outlets to fill with new product."We're back in the family event business, especially with Illumination," Stephanie Sperber, prexy of Universal Partnerships and Licensing told Variety. "This is the biggest toy property that Universal has had since 'Jurassic Park.' It's very exciting for everyone involved."With the toy category generally the anchor for a family film when it comes to consumer products, Thinkway will serve as the sequel's master toy licensee, with the first products -- featuring the Minions and other key characters as interactive toys, figures, plush, dolls, playsets, vehicles, role play and novelty items across all pricepoints -- set to hit store shelves globally when the film bows July 3, 2013."Our team is ecstatic to create an all new line of toys for 'Despicable Me 2,'" said Albert Chan, CEO of Thinkway. "The characters are endearing, filled with humor and adventure and we can't wait to include these elements into the toy line."Thinkway is best known for producing electronic, interactive and animatronic movie-themed toys around characters in Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story," like the talking Buzz Lightyear doll, and the dancing Erik penguin from "Happy Feet 2." It's also planning on releasing playthings around Disney and Marvel's "The Avengers" and Sony's "The Amazing Spider-Man," both out this summer.UP&L brokered the Thinkway deal, working closely with "Despicable Me" franchise producer Illumination Entertainment to select the toy partner. Toon studio is also developing family pics based on "Curious George," "The Addams Family," "Uglydolls" and "Woody Woodpecker," among others. Its "The Lorax," based on the Dr. Seuss book, bows in March.While Universal had "Despicable Me" merchandise in stores in summer 2010, the lineup of products at retailers like Best Buy was small, given that the property wasn't based on familiar characters or a sequel.Its pop-culture profile changed, however, when the film earned $251.5 million in the U.S. and another $291.6 million overseas. It also was a hit on homevideo, selling 13 million units worldwide, and has become the top animated title ordered on VOD since January 2011. What few Minion plush toys existed sold out quickly."The first 'Despicable Me' surprised everyone in the way it was embraced around the world," Sperber said. "Gru and the Minions made 'Despicable Me' a tentpole franchise for Universal and we know Thinkway's innovation, reputation and global reach make them the best partner for us to bring the Minions to life through toys."We see this as a chance to grow the franchise through consumer products around the world. It's now a massive global program."U is now closing in on deals for apparel and other "Despicable" merchandise. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

MTV Movie Brawl 2012: Wild Card Round

We're knee-deep in the MTV Movie Brawl 2012, our three-week tournament to decide which movie you're most excited about in the coming year. As it stands, 32 films are already slugging it out in the first round of the tournament, and only 16 will still be standing when our March Madness-style bracket tournament begins on Monday (January 9). Of course, there are a lot more than 32 movies worth getting excited about in 2012, but we just can't fit them all into our tournament. We do, however, have a few more spots available for this first round and that's where you come in! We're opening up the one day only MTV Movie Brawl 2012 Wild Card round, where we're asking you to nominate FIVE more movies to be added to the tournament. Here's how it works... You have until 9 AM ET on Thursday morning (January 5) to leave your nominations in the comments section below, or tweet them to @mtvmoviesblog with the hash-tag #mtvmoviebrawl. By Thursday afternoon, well add FIVE more high-demand movies to our current pool of 32. Vote In The MTV Movie Brawl 2012! Of course, even if your Wild Card entry gets admitted into the Brawl, there's no guarantee that the film will make it into next week's Sweet 16. You're going to have to work overtime to get these late additions enough votes to push forward in the competition but luckily, there'll be plenty of time to vote, as the first round closes on Sunday (January 8). So start commenting and start tweeting @mtvmoviesblog right now to get your Wild Card picks added to the Brawl for it all! MTV Movie Brawl 2012 Has Begun! Which movies do you want added to MTV Movie Brawl 2012? Leave your nominations in the comments section, or tweet them to @mtvmoviesblog using #mtvmoviebrawl!