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  • Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016
Vatican disputes pope film claim, says pontiff not an actor
Pope Francis celebrates a mass for nuns and priest, in St.Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
By Nicole Winfield
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- 

The Vatican is disputing a U.S. film studio's claim that the pope is making his movie debut, saying no scenes were shot for the venture and that the pope isn't an actor.

Los Angeles-based AMBI Pictures headlined its press release: "Film Will Mark First Ever Big Screen Participation Role for the Leader of the Worldwide Catholic Church."

Monsignor Dario Vigano, the head of the Vatican's communications operation, acknowledged that he couldn't exclude that the filmmakers got hold of some clips of the pope. But in comments broadcast on Vatican Radio on Tuesday, Vigano disputed the press release claiming that Francis would "play himself" in the film "Beyond the Sun."

He said: "The pope is not an actor."

AMBI described the film as "a family adventure story where children from different cultures emulate the apostles while searching for Jesus in the world around them."

AMBI Pictures has More

  • Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016
Chuck Lorre to be inducted into NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame
Chuck Lorre (photo by Art Streiber)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- 

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced today that executive producer/writer Chuck Lorre — the creative force behind the Warner Bros. Television hit broadcast comedies “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mom,” “Mike & Molly” and “Two and a Half Men” for CBS — will be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame at the 2016 NAB Show Television Luncheon on Monday, April 18, in Las Vegas.

As a writer, creator and executive producer, Lorre has been the driving force behind some of the top comedies on television. He is co-creator/executive producer of the blockbuster hit “The Big Bang Theory,” TV’s #1 entertainment series among Total Viewers and #1 comedy among Adults 18–49, as well as the critically acclaimed “Mom,” starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney, which was honored as a recipient at the Television Academy Honors in 2014.

Lorre is also executive producer of “Mike & Molly,” starring More

  • Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016
"Mad Max" director George Miller to lead Cannes Film Festival jury
In this May 7, 2015 file photo, George Miller arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
PARIS (AP) -- 

The Cannes Film Festival has invited "Mad Max" director George Miller to preside over this year's jury and award the Palme d'Or for France's equivalent of the Oscars.

The festival said Tuesday that choosing Miller, an Australian director, screenwriter and producer, was a celebration of genre cinema. Miller's films defy easy categorization, from the apocalyptic "Mad Max" series to "The Witches of Eastwick," the drama "Lorenzo's Oil," and the children's classics "Babe" and "Happy Feet."

As head of the jury, Miller will set the tone for the festival in France's Cote d'Azur, which runs from May 11-22.

  • Monday, Feb. 1, 2016
NBC renews deal with prolific producer Dick Wolf
In this Jan. 13, 2016 file photo, S. Epatha Merkerson, left, and executive producer Dick Wolf participate in the "Chicago Fire," "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Med" panel at the NBCUniversal Winter TCA in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

NBC has signed a new production deal with prolific producer Dick Wolf, ensuring an 18th season of "Law & Order: SVU" and the continuation of his Chicago trilogy of dramas.

The deal, announced Monday, binds Wolf with NBC Universal through 2020, by which time he will likely have even more programs on the network's schedule.

Wolf had seemed close to the end of his run at NBC at the outset of this decade, with the long-running "Law & Order" franchise down to the one show. But he's come roaring back with his signature cut-from-the-headlines procedural dramas, this time focusing on Chicago.

The deal promises a second season of the newest drama, "Chicago Med." NBC had earlier renewed "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago P.D." Wolf has delivered a handful of crossover storylines where actors from one of the series appear in the others.

NBC said Wolf is also developing a fourth series, "Chicago More

  • Monday, Feb. 1, 2016
"Grease" fights through rain, tragedy to reach 12.2 million
This image released by Fox, Juliane Hough and Aaron Tveit appear during a performance of "Grease: Live." (Frank Micelotta/FOX via AP)
By David Bauder, Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- 

Fox's live production of "Grease" fought rain, wind and personal tragedy to emerge a winner, with its audience of 12.2 million people eclipsing viewership for the last two musicals presented on NBC.

The Nielsen company said Fox's audience was more than three times what the network typically gets for a Sunday night.

"'Grease' is so much about joy and energy and youth," said Marc Platt, one of the show's producers, on Monday. "We decided we wanted to throw a big party to celebrate that and invite everyone and that's what we did, and it turned out well for everybody."

There was so much wind and rain a few hours before the start that producers were told that a major part of the set — the facade of Rydell High — would not be able to be used because it was unsafe. They scrambled to redo the affected scenes, but shortly before starting it was deemed safe to go ahead with the original plans.

The More

  • Monday, Feb. 1, 2016
Pope Francis To Appear In Feature Film "Beyond The Sun"
Producer Andrea Iervolino with Pope Francis
ROME/LOS ANGELES -- 

A “first” in both cinema and Catholic Church history will be made as the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Francis, will play himself in the family film “Beyond the Sun” from AMBI Pictures.

In his feature film debut (and film debut for any Pope in the history of the Church), His Holiness Pope Francis portrays himself in the inspirational story based on the Gospels, told in several tales with Jesus’ message, so children can learn and incorporate Jesus’ parables.

The idea for the feature film emanated from Pope Francis asking the filmmakers to do a movie for children that communicates Jesus’ message.

Pope Francis is willing to participate in the movie to support charity as all profits from “Beyond the Sun” will be donated to two selected charities--El Almendro and Los Hogares de Cristo (located in Argentina) which support Pope Francis’ social and spiritual message within More

  • Friday, Jan. 29, 2016
Jacques Rivette, French New Wave film director, dies at 87
This Wednesday, May 16, 2001 file picture shows French director Jacques Rivette arriving for the screening of his film "Who Knows", in competition at the Film Festival in Cannes, France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)
PARIS (AP) -- 

French director Jacques Rivette, a secretive pioneer of convention-bashing New Wave film renowned for creating rich roles for women such as Emmanuelle Beart, has died at 87.

Rivette's films - like many of the New Wave era - routinely appeared at elite film festivals though didn't always enjoy commercial success.

French President Francois Hollande, in a statement Friday announcing Rivette's death, hailed him as "a cineaste of the woman." Serge Toubiana of the Cinematheque museum in Paris described Rivette's "sense of conspiracy, sense of secrecy" and the "magnificent place" he provided to women characters.

Among them were roles in an early film "La Religieuse" (The Nun), censored when it first came out in 1966; the award-winning, nearly-four-hour "La Belle Noiseuse" (The Beautiful Troublemaker) with Beart in 1991; and a 1994 version of the Joan of Arc tale called "Jeanne la Pucelle" starring More

  • Friday, Jan. 29, 2016
Andrew Keller named global creative director at Facebook’s Creative Shop
Andrew Keller

Andrew Keller, who as part of an organizational restructuring last August left CP+B where he was CEO and executive creative director, has resurfaced at Facebook, becoming global creative director of its in-house Creative Shop, which works with brands and agencies on how to best use Facebook and Instagram in their campaigns, with the latest focus being on mobile. Creative Shop has teamed on campaigns with brands such as Budweiser, Toyota, Ford, Sprint and Amnesty International, and agencies including Droga5, 360i, Digitas LBi, and Colenso BBDO.

Keller fills a newly created position at Creative Shop where he will report to Mark D’Arcy, the agency’s chief creative officer.

Keller had been CEO at CP+B for five years before his departure last summer. He joined that agency as an art director in 1998 and rose up the ranks to become CP+B’s top creative and then took on the CEO mantle.

More
  • Friday, Jan. 29, 2016
Crime thriller "Port of Call" leads Hong Kong film nominees
In this Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, file photo, Hong Kong actor-singer Aaron Kwok poses on the red carpet of the opening ceremony for the Studio City project in Macau. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
HONG KONG (AP) -- 

Thrills and adventure lead the nominations for the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Thirteen nominations went to "Port of Call," a thriller about a detective looking into a heinous crime that tore apart two families and is loosely based on a real event. It's up for best film, best actor for Hong Kong superstar Aaron Kwok and best director for Philip Yung, for whom "Port of Call" was his third feature.

The 3D action adventure film "The Taking of Tiger Mountain" has 11 nominations, including best film and best director for the veteran Tsui Hark.

The third "Ip Man" film was popular with fans as well as critics. Its eight nominations include best film, best director and best action choreography.

The other best film nominees are "Little Big Master" and perhaps the biggest surprise, "Ten Years." The low-budget, independent film contains five stories postulating about Hong Kong's future. The film More

  • Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016
Kathryn Bigelow to direct Detroit-set true crime drama
In this Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 file photo, Kathryn Bigelow arrives to the Museum of Modern Art's third annual Film Benefit in New York. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- 

"Zero Dark Thirty" filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow's next project will move her from the Middle East to Detroit.

Bigelow will direct a film set amid the week of deadly race-related rioting in Detroit that claimed 43 lives in 1967.

The as-yet-untitled film will be financed by Annapurna Pictures and written by Mark Boal.

Bigelow and Boal pair previously collaborated on the Middle East war movies "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Hurt Locker," which earned Academy Awards for best picture, best director for Bigelow and best original screenplay for Boal.

The crime drama is scheduled to begin production this summer and released in 2017 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the riots.

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