Paramount nabs 'Hyperdrive' spec

Paramount is going into "Hyperdrive," picking up the science-fiction spec script from Morgan Jurgenson and Alex Ankeles for Mary Parent to produce through her Disruption Entertainment banner.Studio acquired the spec preemptively on Wednesday night. Story centers on a tough cop who recruits a geeky science-fiiction writer to find a witness to a murder and is described as "Men in Black" meets "Midnight Run."Cale Boyer of Disrpution brought "Hyperdrive" into the shingle.Jurgenson propduced and co-wrote "Tucker and Dale vs. Evil," which sold at Sundance to Magnolia. Ankeles is a VP at Panay Films.Disruption has been ramping up business since Parent set up the Par-based banner in February, four months after exiting as the topper of MGM's film business. It's developing a sci-fi action script from "Snakes on a Plane" scribe John Heffernan, "The Watching Hour" at New Line with Mad Hatter along with an adaptation of the DC Comic series "The Mighty" along with Chris Bender and JC Spink of Benderspink.Jurgenson is repped by APA and Hung Entertainment. Ankeles is repped by CAA and Kaplan/Perrone. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Lee Cowan Back At CBS News After four years At NBC

Lee Cowan will return to CBS News as National Correspondent, CBS News Chairman as well as an hour Executive Producer Rob Fager and David Rhodes, Leader, CBS News, introduced today. Cowan will result in CBS News broadcasts and platforms within the division and he'll be an alternate anchor for CBS SUNDAY MORNING. He'll be situated in La. His appointment is effective November 1. Lee Cowan can be a top quality reporter and one of the better storytellers within the generation of broadcast journalists, mentioned Fager. Its an authentic thrill that he's coming back the place to find us. Lee includes our persistence for original reportingto showing an excellent story, well told, mentioned Rhodes. We are so excited to own him within the fold. “With his style and class, Lee Cowan is exclusive — together with a Sunday Morning natural.” mentioned Rand Morrison, Executive Producer of CBS SUNDAY MORNING. “To condition that people’re thrilled to own him back on we is certainly an understatement.” Most recently, Cowan is really a correspondent for NBC News since 2007, contributing to numerous NBC News shows, including “NBC Nightly News with John Williams,” “Today,” and MSNBC broadcasts. While there, he covered major news tales and occasions, including presidential candidate Obama through the historic 2008 presidential election campaign as well as the tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011. Right before joining NBC, Cowan will be a CBS News correspondent for your CBS Evening News. Because role, he reported on numerous tales of national and worldwide importance, which incorporated coverage from Ground Zero round the September 11 attacks, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2006 conflict in Beirut as well as the 2006 tsunami in Indonesia. Formerly, Cowan offered just like a correspondent for CBS Newspath, CBS News 24-hour news service, he provided national and global coverage for CBS News U.S. affiliate entrepreneurs. Cowan grew to become an associate of CBS News in 1996 after just as one anchor and reporter for WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. Right before that, he was an anchor and reporter WWMT-TV, in Kalamazoo, Mich., together with a weekend anchor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, Calif. Before joining KCOY-TV, Cowan held positions as news director and anchor at NBC affiliate KIEM-TV Eureka, Calif. Cowan began his career in journalism in 1988 just like a investigator, first for “CBS News Nightwatch” along with the “CBS Evening News” in Washington, D.C. Born in Salt Lake City, Cowan graduated in 1988 within the College of Washington getting a double major in communications and speech communications.

'Attenberg,' 'Kilimandjaro,' 'Play' chase Lux prize

BRUSSELS -- Judging has begun for three films in the running for the European Parliament's 2011 Lux prize. In contention are Greek foreign-language Oscar hopeful "Attenberg" by Athina Rachel Tsangari, "Les Neiges du Kilimandjaro" by French helmer Robert Guediguian and "Play" by Ruben Ostlund of Sweden. A 90-seat cinema has been constructed in the parliament's Brussels complex to screen the films. The 736 members of parliament have a month to see the films and vote. The winner will be announced in Strasbourg, the parliament's other location, on Nov. 16 The prize recognizes films that illustrate European values, cultural diversity or debate on the European project. The winning film will be subtitled into the 23 official languages of the European Union, and it will receive support for its distribution in the 27 EU states. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

BAFTA LA renames award for Broccoli

The British Academy of Film and tv Arts La is renaming its Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution to Shot Entertainment in recognition of Jason Bourne franchise producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli.BAFTA La made the announcement Tuesday. The initial Cubby Broccoli Britannia Award is going to be presented to John Lasseter within the BAFTA La Britannia Honours on November. 30 within the Beverly Hilton Hotel."Cubby Broccoli was the Britannia's initial honoree when the honours were originated from over 2 decades ago," mentioned Nigel Lythgoe, chairman of BAFTA La. "By creating a global phenomenon while using longest-running film series in cinema history, Cubby's legacy demonstrates just what the Britannia Award for Worldwide Contribution means. We are grateful to Michael G Wilson, Barbara Broccoli as well as the Broccoli Foundation for generous support, and so are delighted to supply this award in Cubby's recognition."Broccoli and Harry Saltzman began the written text photos in 1961 with "Dr. No." Broccoli died in 1996. Besides Lasseter, the 2011 honorees are Warren Beatty (Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film), Helena Bonham Carter (Britannia Award for British Artist of year), Ben Stiller (Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy), and David Yates (John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Pointing).Lasseter was named since the people receiving the BAFTA LA award in June just before being re-named. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Xbox 360 360 lines up programming companies

The important thing component of the look would be the incorporation of Microsoft's Bing internet search engine which will locate content using Kinect's voice and motion controls.Microsoft has arranged nearly 40 new satellite and cable companies, and individual channels to stream live TV and VOD programming through its Xbox 360 360 videogame console in 20 nations. Not surprisingly, Comcast's Xfinity TV, Verizon's FiOS TV, Epix, Cinemax, Bravo and Syfy are included in this ( Daily Variety , March. 3), however the U.K.'s BBC, Canada's Rogers When Needed, Telefonica in The country, Televisa in Mexico, ZDF in Germany, and MediaSet in Italia will even join Xbox 360 Live's selection of content partners sometime this fall. Additionally, Best Buy's CinemaNow will offer you up films alongside Netflix, while online entertainment and news sites AlloCin, Sony's Crackle, Dailymotion, iHeartRadio, MSNBC, NBC's "The Today Show," and TMZ can look on Xbox 360 Live. The integration of YouTube, Vevo and fights from UFC had recently been introduced in the E3 videogame confab in May. All will offer you streams through applications that every company will launch and manage. Generally, the applications will mirror each company's mobile applications like Cinemax Go. However the applications may also be a means for channels or speciifc shows to provide up more video or original programming like web series it does not have enough time to air on television. "By getting their very own, (content proprietors) will have a way to push programming out straight to the customer,Inch Blair Westlake, corporate Vice president from the Media & Entertainment Group for Microsoft, told Daily Variety . "They'll have the ability to tailor the application towards the content they produce." Microsoft has yet to reveal a precise date of once the partners will start showing up around the console, however they will rollout like a relaunch from the interface presently accustomed to control the Xbox 360 Live service, that is being remodeled to higher integrate more programming options. The important thing component of the look would be the incorporation of Microsoft's Bing internet search engine which will locate content using Kinect's voice and motion controls. Microsoft has offered ten million Kinect sensors worldwide. Because of the amount of applications which will show up on Xbox 360 Live, Microsoft is depending on Bing as the best way to cut with the clutter of content. A visit a title, for instance, will identify all content companies that make it as well as other forms -- sequels, videogames, soundtracks -- that could relate. "For several years, we have been speaking about 500 Television channels now we're approaching a lot more than 500 applications," Westlake stated. "This is where search can come greatly into play. A chance to find what you are searching for is going to be key." As viewership of videos around the Xbox 360 360 has tripled in the last year, Microsoft is wanting to up the amount of content deals it's for Xbox 360 Live because it looks to show the console into an exciting-in-one set-top box that may access all types of entertainment, not only games. By adding their services to consoles such as the Xbox 360 360, TV companies believe they are able to put programming in front of players by embracing the unit they are already using instead of wishing they change to other set-top boxes. Microsoft has offered 55 million Xbox 360 360s. Xbox 360 Live has 35 million people who pay to gain access to content, versus Comcast's 22.5 million and Verizon's 3.8 million for FiOS TV. "Present day announcement is really a major step toward recognizing our vision to create all of you the entertainment you would like, distributed to the folks you worry about, done affordably,Inch stated Don Mattrick, leader from the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Mixing the earth's leading TV and entertainment companies using the energy of Kinect for Xbox 360 360 and also the intelligence of Bing voice search can make TV and entertainment more personal, social and easy." The brand new partners join AT&T's U-verse, Netflix, ESPN 3 and Hulu Plus, within the U.S., Telus in Canada, BSkyB within the U.K., Canal Also in France, Vodafone Portugal, VimpelCom in Russia, and Foxtel around australia, which already offered streaming video through Xbox 360 Reside in their areas. Through Verizon's FiOS TV, Xbox 360 Live will offer you up 26 live Television channels, including MTV, Spike, Food Network, Comedy Central, Cinemax, CNN and Nickelodeon. To be able to make use of the services, Xbox 360 Live customers must prove they're customers towards the cablers or satcasters, or perhaps in Bravo or Syfy's situation, confirm that they're having to pay satellite or cable clients. Full Listing of Partners and Areas: Australia: ABC iView, Crackle. Foxtel, SBS When Needed Canada: Astral Media's Disney XD, Crackle, Walnut Leaf Sports & Entertainment/Real Sports, Netflix, Rogers When Needed Online, TELUS, UFC, Vevo France: AlloCin, Canal Plus, Germany: AlloCin, LoveFilm, MUZU.TV, ZDF Italia: MediaSet, MUZU.TV Japan: Hulu Mexico: Televisa Portugal: Vodafone Portugal Russia: VimpelCom The country: AlloCin, Antena 3, Canal Plus, GolTV, MUZU.TV, RTVE, Telefonica U.K.: AlloCin, BBC, blinkbox, BSkyB, Funnel 4, Funnel 5, Crackle, Last.fm, LoveFilm, MUZU.TV, Vevo, U.S.: AT&T U-Verse, Bravo, CinemaNow, Comcast's Xfinity TV, Crackle, Epix, ESPN 3, Cinemax Go, Hulu Plus, iHeartRadio, Last.fm, Manga Entertainment, Netflix, Syfy, "The Today Show," TMZ, UFC, Verizon's FiOS TV, Vevo, Facebook, MSNBC, Twitter, YouTube, Zune can be found in hundreds of marketplaces. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

How 'Pan Am,' 'Playboy Club' Re-Created Iconic Looks From the '60s

TV's obsession with early-'60s style shows no sign of stopping. This fall, new series Pan Am and The Playboy Club are showcasing two iconic looks long identified (for better or worse) with the era: the stewardess and the Bunny.our editor recommends'Pan Am': What the Viewers Are Saying'Pan Am' Among Season's Priciest PilotsHugh Hefner: 5 Things You Didn't Know About the Playboy Founder, Reality Star and Jilted Groom'The Playboy Club' Showrunner: 'There's a Perception of the Show That's False' PHOTOS: Fall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows For both, authenticity was paramount in re-creating Pan Am's blue uniforms and the Playboy Club's cotton-tail suits. In the case of Playboy Club, costume designer Isis Mussenden (The Chronicles of Narnia series) was unable to find even one original uniform. "We started scouring photos," says Mussenden, who consulted with Hugh Hefner on the outfits for the NBC drama series, set in Chicago in 1960. To create costumes to withstand 12-hour filming days, she chose a lustrous cotton-backed satin in a rainbow of colors, from red and hot pink to cobalt. Each suit -- two for each of the five leads -- took 10 hours to construct. The total cost per uniform? $3,000 including built-in bra, French cuff, Playboy cuff links, bow tie, satin ears and dyed-to-match 3-inch heels. Mussenden created 50 additional, less-expensive suits for extras. PHOTOS: ABC's New Season TV Shows: 'Pan Am,' 'Charlie's Angels' and More Hefner had comments, including one that the suits weren't cut high enough on the leg. "I sent Mr. Hefner a photo of him with five bunnies and the leg was exactly the height we used," says Mussenden. "We featured the lower leg cut." The makers of ABC's Pan Am were able to track down the airlines' original uniforms. Exec producer Nancy Ganis, a former flight attendant for the airline, located a collection of originals in Palo Alto, Calif. PHOTOS: Preview NBC's Fall Key Art for 'Playboy Club,' 'Grimm,' 'Whitney,' More "We copied them exactly," she says. "The only thing we had to adjust was the color. Because of high definition, the suit looked too blue-gray on camera. Now it's very close to the original blue." Costume designer Ane Crabtree (FX's Justified) notes the new twill uniforms are a bit more form-fitting through darting. Otherwise, the original specs were retained: below the knee pencil-skirt; 3-inch heels while greeting passengers in the airport (the stewardesses could change into 1 ½-inch heels in the cabin); and pillbox hats complete with a brass Pan Am logo. TV REVIEW: Pan Am While the Playboy Club creators worked closely with Playboy execs from the start, Pan Am's makers had more of a battle. "The rights to the logo are owned by a New England group, some of whom had been on the Pan Am board," says Ganis. "They wanted to protect the legacy." After three years of negotiations, Ganis went East to win over the board. "I explained it would be about an adventure of young women discovering the world," she says. "They understood what it meant to me. For a young girl to be able to travel and be so independent, it was just extraordinary." TV REVIEW: The Playboy Club GET THE LOOK: To capture the fresh-faced beauty of the Pan Am flight attendants, series makeup head Patricia Regan consulted the airline's official handbook provided to stewardesses in the 1960s. It required that ladies establish a defined eye "to give the appearance of big round eyes" and a touch of pink or coral on the cheeks and lips, as seen above on series star Margot Robbie [pictured right]. Related Topics Hugh Hefner Pan Am The Playboy Club Fall TV Preview Margot Robbie

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Elizabeth Hurley Is Engaged

Shane Warne and Elizabeth Hurley Elizabeth Hurley is engaged to Australian cricketer Shane Warne, Us Weekly reviews. Warne, 42, sprang the question throughout dinner within the Old Course Hotel in Scotland on Friday, in line with the magazine. See other stars who've become engaged this year "Interesting congratulations," Hurley, 46, tweeted Saturday. This is actually the second marriage for Hurley and Warne, who began dating 10 several days ago. Hurley, who's presently guest-starring on Gossip Girl, completed her divorce from Arun Nayar in June.