Spotlight on Regional Auditions

Regional Auditions Spotlight on Regional Auditions Make the most of your experience at a regional combined audition. By Mark Dundas Wood December 29, 2011 Attending a regional combined audition can be like playing the cymbals in an orchestra: You sit patiently in a stiff tuxedo, waiting for your big moment of crashing truth, and then, before you know it, it's over. Actors may plan several months for the big day, drive overnight to get there, and pay for a hotel room, and when their few seconds in the spotlight are over, they're left like Peggy Lee, wondering, "Is that all there is to a regional combined audition?"With any luck, the answer will be no, and your audition will be followed by several theaters and producers inviting you to their callbacks, which will offer you an array of choices for summer employment or even long-term gigs. But whether you're lucky or not, you'll want to get your time and money's worth from any combined audition event. To help with that goal, Back Stage spoke with audition administrators and a few veteran auditionees.Planning Ahead Selecting the audition or auditions you'll attend is the first step. Geographical proximity is obviously a big factor, but you may find that you'll need to travel farther to meet your needs. The websites of the various combined auditions and theater conferences will tell you what each one entails and which theaters will be sending representatives. For instance, if you're a college student, the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions in Memphis, Tenn., which cater to established professionals, might not be the best fit, whereas NY City's StrawHat Auditions, which offer many summer-only jobs for nonunion newcomers, could be just the ticket.Ryan MacConnell, a musical theater student at Ithaca College who auditioned last year at the New England Theatre Conference in Natick, Mass. (he also had a behind-the-scenes administrative job there), thinks attending multiple audition events may not make sense. Many theaters and producers, he says, are represented at both StrawHat and NETC, for example. If you're on a tight budget, you should choose the one that is most likely to bring you success.Once you know which theaters will be attending a combined audition, it's a good idea to learn what shows they'll be doing in the upcoming season and begin looking for trends, suggests Todd Zehrer, a 2011 graduate of Millikin University who recently moved to New York. Zehrer has attended both UPTA and the MidWest Theatre Auditions, which are held at Webster University in St. Louis. "I know that in the year coming up, 'Legally Blonde' is really popular," he says. "If you're the kind of person who's dead-on the right type for a show that's happening at a lot of different theaters, it might be smart to really market yourself for that show." List of 2012 Regional Combined Auditions Getting There Traveling to regional combined auditions can be expensive, especially if you're going alone. Rachel Swartz, now an MFA student at the University of Southern Mississippi, drove by herself from Ohio to NY for StrawHat. "I learned a very valuable lesson," she says. "Ohio girls don't belong driving in NY City. It was terrifying. I parked my car at the hotel and didn't take it out again until it was time to come home."Meg Maley, a senior at Baldwin-Wallace College, remembers a similarly "insane" trip from Ohio to NY for StrawHat. She and her classmates performed "Rent" on campus on Sunday evening, drove through the night to their Monday auditions, stayed in NY overnight, then drove back the next day in time for their Tuesday-night "Rent" curtain.That sort of madcap road trip may be one for the memory book, but it's probably not conducive to delivering your best audition. The stress of the drive had a negative effect on Swartz's StrawHat performance. "That was a bit of a flop for me," she recalls. If you have the time, you might want to combine business with pleasure by making the trip a mini-vacation. When Swartz traveled to Memphis for UPTA, the trek was much more relaxed. She arrived a couple of days ahead of time, visited the local zoo, and spent time resting before the auditions. "And it was kind of wonderful to have my car down there," she says.Traveling with other actorsassuming you're compatible, of coursecan make a long trip more enjoyable, even if you don't have time to stop and see the sights along the way. April J'Callahan Marshall, director of professional theater services for the Southeastern Theatre Conference, notes that SETC helps actors find both travel partners and roommates. If you're journeying a very long distance, you might consider flying at least part of the way.Once you reach your destination, you'll need a way to get aroundbut that doesn't necessarily mean renting a car. Peter Sargent, auditions coordinator for MWTA, says some hotels in St. Louis provide shuttle service to and from the Webster campus to accommodate auditionees. Staying There Some actors prefer to avoid hotel costs altogether. If you live relatively close to the event's host city, you can be a day tripper, but as MacConnell points out, callbacks can last late into the evening, and you may find that splurging on a room for the night will keep you (and your carpool mates) from getting restless or impatient as the hours tick by. If you have friends or relatives who live nearby, you can save money by staying with them. "Any trip to NY, you call your friends from the past," says Maley, noting that many Baldwin-Wallace alumni have relocated to the city and are willing to host former classmates.If you stay at a hotel, consider doubling, tripling, or quadrupling up. Swartz thinks it's "nonsense" to spend $300 per night on a room for one: "I've yet to go to a conference where, if I wasn't staying with my buddies, I didn't run into 15 that I could have stayed with." Such group adventures may have stressful moments, but when everyone cooperates, things can turn out well. "If you don't mind six girls getting ready in one bathroom," Swartz says, "it's a worthwhile experienceif for nothing else than the stories of being with five other actors in a hotel room at the most dreadful point in their year."According to Swartz, there are definite advantages to staying at the hotel where the auditions are being held: "It was so nice when, if I needed five extra headshots or I needed my tap shoes, they were there, rather than having to get across town and miss a callback that could be a potential job, because you needed something you didn't have. I tried lugging around a whole bag of dance shoes and music books and everything one year, and it was just a terrible mistake."Sometimes hotels will offer special deals. Joseph Juliano Jr., auditions chairperson for NETC, says Natick's Crowne Plaza Hotel, which hosts NETC's auditions, has provided meal vouchers to entice actors to lodge there. Similarly, says Sargent, MWTA works with hotels in St. Louis to keep costs low, while Webster University keeps its food service outlet open so attendees won't have to buy expensive meals elsewhere.Things to Do When a regional combined audition is held in conjunction with a theater conference, you may find all sorts of theater-related events that can augment the value of attending. According to Marshall, a vast number of enriching opportunities can be found at SETC's professional auditions, held in the spring and fall, including social events, master classes with renowned teachers, 300 workshops, and six theater festivals (featuring about 50 shows). Swartz, for instance, took a workshop on "Shakespeare and scrolls" in 2010, which demonstrated "a way of doing Shakespeare as it might have been done" originally, she says, "reading straight from the page."Some theater conferences keep their auditions separate from their other activities. Juliano explains that although NETC has considered creating one large event, it continues to hold its annual convention in November and its combined auditions in March, as the two tend to attract completely different attendees. But if actors are traveling a long distance for NETC's auditions, they can still find plenty of shows and other theater-related activities to enjoy in nearby Bostonor even use the trip as a chance to check out the theater scene in NY.Likewise, auditionees at other events can find things to do in those cities. While attending MWTA in 2010, Zehrer and his fellow actors saw a production of "Spring Awakening" at St. Louis' Fox Theatre. When in Memphis for UPTA, he attended a blues concert.People to See Another way to add value to your experience is by networking, both with theater representatives and with other actors. Networking was "the biggest benefit" of his attending last year's NETC auditions, says MacConnell, explaining that the layout of the audition area was especially conducive to mingling with others: "All these people are in this huge hallway together for hours, so you're just talking to everyone. Producers will walk in the halls and sometimes grab someone aside and talk to them or say, 'I remember seeing you last year. You've improved a lot.' "At the NETC auditions, MacConnell became acquainted with some students from Syracuse University and they spent time hanging out after callbacks. He later saw them again when he attended one of Syracuse's theater productions. "And then everybody requests each other on Facebook after that weekend," he adds. "It's like everyone goes nuts trying to figure out each other's connections. If you have to reach out, now you know those people, even if you're not the best of friends."When Swartz was offered a job with the outdoor historical drama "The Lost Colony" in Manteo, N.C., she remembered someone who had worked there. "I was able to call my friend Max that I met being No. 87 at UPTAs that year," she says. "So it's kind of neat. It's interesting to see where you end up running into these people, over and over and over again."Zehrer and Swartz say the hotel bar is a good place to interact, both with fellow actors and with theater reps. "All the casting directors seem to go down there afterwards," Swartz notes, "and they want to meet everybody that they saw for 90 seconds and talk to them there and get to know you on a more casual level, rather than just hearing 'your best 16.' I know for a fact that I've booked several jobs after just sitting down with a director for an hour or so and having a couple of drinks and just relaxing."Time to Keep Actors don't have much downtime on audition day. In fact, one of the most important skills that auditionees mention for enhancing your success at combined auditions is time management, especially when it comes to scheduling callbacks. If you're fortunate to get a number of them, Zehrer says, you may find yourself scrambling to attend them all. He has usually been able to schedule meetings with his top choices, but "you definitely have to prioritize and map out your route," he says.If you've done your research and kept track of who's who and which theaters will be producing which shows, then you should be able to sort out your options satisfactorily. Maley recalls that in preparing for callbacks, she kept a small notebook listing all the theaters represented at the event, their locations, the shows they were staging, and their payment policies. "It's sometimes hard to navigate when there are so many theaters there and so many people," she says. "If you kind of have an idea of where you fit in their seasons,it makes it easier for them, and for you." Spotlight on Regional Auditions Make the most of your experience at a regional combined audition. By Mark Dundas Wood December 29, 2011 Attending a regional combined audition can be like playing the cymbals in an orchestra: You sit patiently in a stiff tuxedo, waiting for your big moment of crashing truth, and then, before you know it, it's over. Actors may plan several months for the big day, drive overnight to get there, and pay for a hotel room, and when their few seconds in the spotlight are over, they're left like Peggy Lee, wondering, "Is that all there is to a regional combined audition?"With any luck, the answer will be no, and your audition will be followed by several theaters and producers inviting you to their callbacks, which will offer you an array of choices for summer employment or even long-term gigs. But whether you're lucky or not, you'll want to get your time and money's worth from any combined audition event. To help with that goal, Back Stage spoke with audition administrators and a few veteran auditionees.Planning Ahead Selecting the audition or auditions you'll attend is the first step. Geographical proximity is obviously a big factor, but you may find that you'll need to travel farther to meet your needs. The websites of the various combined auditions and theater conferences will tell you what each one entails and which theaters will be sending representatives. For instance, if you're a college student, the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions in Memphis, Tenn., which cater to established professionals, might not be the best fit, whereas NY City's StrawHat Auditions, which offer many summer-only jobs for nonunion newcomers, could be just the ticket.Ryan MacConnell, a musical theater student at Ithaca College who auditioned last year at the New England Theatre Conference in Natick, Mass. (he also had a behind-the-scenes administrative job there), thinks attending multiple audition events may not make sense. Many theaters and producers, he says, are represented at both StrawHat and NETC, for example. If you're on a tight budget, you should choose the one that is most likely to bring you success.Once you know which theaters will be attending a combined audition, it's a good idea to learn what shows they'll be doing in the upcoming season and begin looking for trends, suggests Todd Zehrer, a 2011 graduate of Millikin University who recently moved to NY. Zehrer has attended both UPTA and the MidWest Theatre Auditions, which are held at Webster University in St. Louis. "I know that in the year coming up, 'Legally Blonde' is really popular," he says. "If you're the kind of person who's dead-on the right type for a show that's happening at a lot of different theaters, it might be smart to really market yourself for that show."List of 2012 Regional Combined Auditions Getting There Traveling to regional combined auditions can be expensive, especially if you're going alone. Rachel Swartz, now an MFA student at the University of Southern Mississippi, drove by herself from Ohio to NY for StrawHat. "I learned a very valuable lesson," she says. "Ohio girls don't belong driving in NY City. It was terrifying. I parked my car at the hotel and didn't take it out again until it was time to come home."Meg Maley, a senior at Baldwin-Wallace College, remembers a similarly "insane" trip from Ohio to NY for StrawHat. She and her classmates performed "Rent" on campus on Sunday evening, drove through the night to their Monday auditions, stayed in NY overnight, then drove back the next day in time for their Tuesday-night "Rent" curtain.That sort of madcap road trip may be one for the memory book, but it's probably not conducive to delivering your best audition. The stress of the drive had a negative effect on Swartz's StrawHat performance. "That was a bit of a flop for me," she recalls. If you have the time, you might want to combine business with pleasure by making the trip a mini-vacation. When Swartz traveled to Memphis for UPTA, the trek was much more relaxed. She arrived a couple of days ahead of time, visited the local zoo, and spent time resting before the auditions. "And it was kind of wonderful to have my car down there," she says.Traveling with other actorsassuming you're compatible, of coursecan make a long trip more enjoyable, even if you don't have time to stop and see the sights along the way. April J'Callahan Marshall, director of professional theater services for the Southeastern Theatre Conference, notes that SETC helps actors find both travel partners and roommates. If you're journeying a very long distance, you might consider flying at least part of the way.Once you reach your destination, you'll need a way to get aroundbut that doesn't necessarily mean renting a car. Peter Sargent, auditions coordinator for MWTA, says some hotels in St. Louis provide shuttle service to and from the Webster campus to accommodate auditionees. Staying There Some actors prefer to avoid hotel costs altogether. If you live relatively close to the event's host city, you can be a day tripper, but as MacConnell points out, callbacks can last late into the evening, and you may find that splurging on a room for the night will keep you (and your carpool mates) from getting restless or impatient as the hours tick by. If you have friends or relatives who live nearby, you can save money by staying with them. "Any trip to NY, you call your friends from the past," says Maley, noting that many Baldwin-Wallace alumni have relocated to the city and are willing to host former classmates.If you stay at a hotel, consider doubling, tripling, or quadrupling up. Swartz thinks it's "nonsense" to spend $300 per night on a room for one: "I've yet to go to a conference where, if I wasn't staying with my buddies, I didn't run into 15 that I could have stayed with." Such group adventures may have stressful moments, but when everyone cooperates, things can turn out well. "If you don't mind six girls getting ready in one bathroom," Swartz says, "it's a worthwhile experienceif for nothing else than the stories of being with five other actors in a hotel room at the most dreadful point in their year."According to Swartz, there are definite advantages to staying at the hotel where the auditions are being held: "It was so nice when, if I needed five extra headshots or I needed my tap shoes, they were there, rather than having to get across town and miss a callback that could be a potential job, because you needed something you didn't have. I tried lugging around a whole bag of dance shoes and music books and everything one year, and it was just a terrible mistake."Sometimes hotels will offer special deals. Joseph Juliano Jr., auditions chairperson for NETC, says Natick's Crowne Plaza Hotel, which hosts NETC's auditions, has provided meal vouchers to entice actors to lodge there. Similarly, says Sargent, MWTA works with hotels in St. Louis to keep costs low, while Webster University keeps its food service outlet open so attendees won't have to buy expensive meals elsewhere.Things to Do When a regional combined audition is held in conjunction with a theater conference, you may find all sorts of theater-related events that can augment the value of attending. According to Marshall, a vast number of enriching opportunities can be found at SETC's professional auditions, held in the spring and fall, including social events, master classes with renowned teachers, 300 workshops, and six theater festivals (featuring about 50 shows). Swartz, for instance, took a workshop on "Shakespeare and scrolls" in 2010, which demonstrated "a way of doing Shakespeare as it might have been done" originally, she says, "reading straight from the page."Some theater conferences keep their auditions separate from their other activities. Juliano explains that although NETC has considered creating one large event, it continues to hold its annual convention in November and its combined auditions in March, as the two tend to attract completely different attendees. But if actors are traveling a long distance for NETC's auditions, they can still find plenty of shows and other theater-related activities to enjoy in nearby Bostonor even use the trip as a chance to check out the theater scene in NY.Likewise, auditionees at other events can find things to do in those cities. While attending MWTA in 2010, Zehrer and his fellow actors saw a production of "Spring Awakening" at St. Louis' Fox Theatre. When in Memphis for UPTA, he attended a blues concert.People to See Another way to add value to your experience is by networking, both with theater representatives and with other actors. Networking was "the biggest benefit" of his attending last year's NETC auditions, says MacConnell, explaining that the layout of the audition area was especially conducive to mingling with others: "All these people are in this huge hallway together for hours, so you're just talking to everyone. Producers will walk in the halls and sometimes grab someone aside and talk to them or say, 'I remember seeing you last year. You've improved a lot.' "At the NETC auditions, MacConnell became acquainted with some students from Syracuse University and they spent time hanging out after callbacks. He later saw them again when he attended one of Syracuse's theater productions. "And then everybody requests each other on Facebook after that weekend," he adds. "It's like everyone goes nuts trying to figure out each other's connections. If you have to reach out, now you know those people, even if you're not the best of friends."When Swartz was offered a job with the outdoor historical drama "The Lost Colony" in Manteo, N.C., she remembered someone who had worked there. "I was able to call my friend Max that I met being No. 87 at UPTAs that year," she says. "So it's kind of neat. It's interesting to see where you end up running into these people, over and over and over again."Zehrer and Swartz say the hotel bar is a good place to interact, both with fellow actors and with theater reps. "All the casting directors seem to go down there afterwards," Swartz notes, "and they want to meet everybody that they saw for 90 seconds and talk to them there and get to know you on a more casual level, rather than just hearing 'your best 16.' I know for a fact that I've booked several jobs after just sitting down with a director for an hour or so and having a couple of drinks and just relaxing."Time to Keep Actors don't have much downtime on audition day. In fact, one of the most important skills that auditionees mention for enhancing your success at combined auditions is time management, especially when it comes to scheduling callbacks. If you're fortunate to get a number of them, Zehrer says, you may find yourself scrambling to attend them all. He has usually been able to schedule meetings with his top choices, but "you definitely have to prioritize and map out your route," he says.If you've done your research and kept track of who's who and which theaters will be producing which shows, then you should be able to sort out your options satisfactorily. Maley recalls that in preparing for callbacks, she kept a small notebook listing all the theaters represented at the event, their locations, the shows they were staging, and their payment policies. "It's sometimes hard to navigate when there are so many theaters there and so many people," she says. "If you kind of have an idea of where you fit in their seasons,it makes it easier for them, and for you."

Mega Buzz: Castle's Tough Choice, Housewives' Health Scare and a Diaries Death?

Stana Katic, Felicity Huffman, Nina Dobrev Every week, editors Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questionsto mega_scoop@tvguide.com. Please tell me Castle and Beckett will still be in a good place when the show returns in January? -Anna ADAM: They'll be in a good place, but maybe not for long. When a dead woman ends up in the mayor's car, Beckett will find herself afraid of pursuing the most obvious suspect. "The stakes are enormous," creator Andrew W. Marlowe tells us. "If something happens to the mayor, Castle is not going to be able to continue his partnership with Beckett. How do you deal with an investigation when you're compromised because of the way you feel?" Got any scoop on Desperate Housewives? -Jennifer NATALIE: Two Wisteria Lane women will be stricken with two different diseases: One is of the venereal ilk and the other is even more severe. We'll go ahead and tell you that Bree is one of the women, and based on her upcoming escapades, it's probably safe to assume she's not the one about to battle cancer. So Rebecca's coming back on The Vampire Diaries? Please tell me that doesn't mean Elena is in danger! - Hayley ADAM: Well, somebody is in danger. Big danger. (I mean, isn't someone always on this show?) "There is definitely a major character whose fate is looking bleak," executive producer Julie Plec tells us. But not, like,Aunt Jenna bleak, right? "[He or she] may not come out the other side of a terrible life-or-death situation," Plec teases. Eek! Any guesses? Got any scoop on Revenge, Bones, Ringer, True Blood, or Castle? --Harry NATALIE: OK, that's plenty to choose from! On one of these shows, the leading man will be shot by a bullet intended for a person he'd rather kill himself - it's fair to call the other man a romantic rival, but it's not a complete description of their relationship. It's been a while since we had any good Blue Bloods scoop. - Will ADAM: When Danny's friend is gunned down during an undercover drug bust, he becomes consumed by the search for his killer. But solving the case will be the easy part. Linda is so shaken by the murder that she will ask Danny to choose between her and the department once and for all. Will Schmidt and Cece ever hook up on New Girl? -Tara NATALIE: Schmidt's dreams are about to come true, and after they've done the deed, he will shout it from the rooftops. (He will then put a dollar in the jar.) How will Cece feel about their flirtation/fling going public? How do you think? Can you tell me anything about Parenthood?-Kathryn ADAM: Zeek may have conquered ED with his smooth-as-silk acting skills, but in the real world, there's some question about his overall health. When a clumsy pharmacist accidentally gives Crosby his father's prescriptions, he learns that his dad isn't exactly as hale and hardy as he appeared in the ad. Anything good happening on Rizzoli & Isles? -Sammy NATALIE: The most difficult part of being a cop is putting those you love in the way of potential harm. The ladies will learn this the hard way when two family members are the victims of a hit-and-run as well as a shooting. How is Homeland going to get Carrie back into the CIA? -Josh ADAM: Whatever happens, we're betting that Saul will be leading the charge. "[Saul and Carrie's] relationship is sort of the axis of the series," executive producer Alex Gansa tells us. "In many ways, it's the focal point of the show." Our theory? Saul uses his knowledge of the drone attack to get Estes fired. Once Saul takes over, he brings Carrie back into the fold. Right? Is there any hope for Adam and Diana on The Secret Circle? -Jaime NATALIE: Sorry to break it to you, Jaime, but Diana is moving on. "She's going to be struggling for a bit," executive producer Andrew Miller says, "but you can't keep that girl away from love because she's too amazing, so there will be love for Diana in this half of the season. It'll just come from an unexpected place." Is Sheriff Roosevelt going to be a part of Sons of Anarchy next season? -Bart ADAM: If creator Kurt Sutter has his way, you bet. "We have not made a deal yet for him next season, but ... he is definitely open to it," Sutter says, noting that he likes the challenge Roosevelt presents to SAMCRO. "He is difficult for the Sons. They know how to go after a guy who just wants to shut them down. And then they know how to pay off a guy and keep him on the take.But how do you navigate around a cop who is a real cop? That will be a fun exploration." What's in store for the Shameless premiere? -Arnie NATALIE: This scoop will be as shameless as the series itself. James Wolk and Emmy Rossum. Naked. In public. Not enough? OK, how about this? William H. Macy. Half-naked. In the restroom of a gay bar. Adam's Mega Rave: We were sweating just as much as Brody watching the pivotal attack scene of Homeland's outstanding season finale. Would he do it? Ohmigod, yes! But it's a good thing he wasn't able to, since it means we'll still have Damian Lewis to kick around next season. Natalie's Mini Rant: Agreed. But here's hoping that Brody's plan to affect policy isn't as boring as it sounds. Crave scoop on your favorite TV shows?E-mail Adam and Natalie at mega_scoop@tvguide.comor drop us a line atTwitter.com/TVGuide Editor's Note: This will be the last Mega Buzz column of the year. Until Adam and Natalie return in 2012, entertain yourselves with our Best of the Year special section. Happy Holidays! (Additional reporting by Joyce Eng, Robyn Ross and Kate Stanhope)

Jeremy Renner on 'The Avengers': Yep, It's 'Awesome'

As long as fairytales exist, Hollywood will never be out of ideas. At least that's the takeaway from the trailer for 'Jack the Giant Killer,' which reimagines classic folklore 'Jack the Giant Killer' -- and 'Jack and the Beanstalk' -- into a slam-bam action spectacle with monstrous giants, flaming trees, and a handful of beans ... "that can change the world as we know it." OK, beans. You do that. The charming Nicholas Hoult ('X-Men: First Class') plays the titular Jack, while Bill Nighy, Ian McShane and Ewan McGregor provide support -- though don't blink or you might miss them in the trailer. Seemingly part 'Jurassic Park,' part 'Your Highness,' part 'Mirror Mirror,' 'Jack the Giant Killer' arrives in theaters in June 2012. Bryan Singer ('X-Men,' 'Superman Returns') directs. Watch the trailer in HD over at Apple. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

9 Suggested New Titles for Will Ferrell's Dubious New Comedy Casa de mi Padre

Maybe I’m still annoyed nearly ten years after I saw Anchorman in theaters and was so angry with its juvenile, unfunny, dude-baiting humor that I’m sour to any movie whose theme is “Will Ferrell is a hilariously alpha dimwit!” — but I’m pretty sure Ferrell’s new jam Casa de mi Padre with Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna is downright moronic for real. In fact, the sophisticated-sounding title isn’t a good fit for the film (though it is written entirely in Spanish) and ought to be replaced. Here are nine titles we’d consider, along with the movie’s new teaser trailer. 1. Y Su Pap Estpido Tambin 2. Telemundo Nights: The Ballad of Armando Alvarez 3. Armando Hug ‘N Kiss 4. Wedding Rancheros 5. The Adventures of Zorro’s Dumber Brother 6. We Bought a Zorro 7. A Mildly Amusing Rum Commercial Stretched to 104 Minutes 8. Bewitched 2 9. Macho Libre I think #9 is the best fit. Any to add? ‘Casa de mi Padre’ Teaser Trailer: A Brief New Look at Will Ferrell’s Spanish-Language Comedy [/Film]

'Holmes,' 'Alvin' open wide at box office

'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'Hollywood has something to prove after last weekend saw the lowest domestic B.O. tally in three years. But with a pair of heavyweight titles entering the marketplace -- Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and 20th Century Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" -- the biz has reason to be optimistic. Launching today at 3,703 locations, "Sherlock" should have no trouble winning the weekend with a projected bow in the $50 millions, while the "Alvin" threequel (at 3,723) is expected to hit a modest $25 million through Sunday, according to Fox.Other B.O. observers say both pics could do better -- closer to the tallies of their predecessor pics.Warner's "Sherlock Holmes" bowed to $62 million during Christmas weekend 2009. The second "Alvin" pic debuted to almost $49 million, also Christmas weekend. The original "Alvin" pic is a better direct comparison for "Chipwrecked," as it bowed to $44 million during the comparable frame in 2007.Either way, B.O. should see a much-needed lift, with additional help from Paramount's week-early bow of "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" at 425 large-screen theaters, most of which are Imax.Par preemed "Ghost Protocol" today for more than 5,000 students, who were the winners of the Get Schooled Foundation's 2011 attendance challenge.Pre-weekend expectations are bright for "Ghost Protocol," which could see $15 million-$16 million in three days, including midnight Thursday screenings. That would be an especially fine start for the film, even with the average $3.50-$5 premium ticket upcharge."Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" launches a week before the U.S. in a total of 44 overseas territories, including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and Spain. Fox's "Alvin," meanwhile, bows day-and-date this weekend, but only six of its 38 debut territories are major markets.Looking to bolster Stateside coffers, Par's dark comedy "Young Adult" expands to 986 locations after last weekend's limited rollout."Game of Shadows" marks the first all-audience pic to kickstart the holiday sesh; last year, Disney's "Tron: Legacy" bowed this weekend to the season's highest opening of $44 million. Moreover, "Chipwrecked" should outdo "Yogi Bear," which opened to just north of $16 million.With this weekend's collective tally, added to next weekend's influx of six wide releases (including "Mission: Impossible"), some B.O. pundits are confident that year-to-date totals can still come close to the 2010 figure.At the specialty B.O., Sony Classics' "Carnage," which snared two Globe noms, bows at five locations in NY and L.A.Fox Searchlight's NC-17-rated "Shame," which collected a Globes nom for Michael Fassbender, widens from 21 to 51 engagements, with an additional nine U.S. cities. Pic should cross $1 million domestically this weekend. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

'In The Land Of Blood stream And Honey' Premiere: Angelina Jolie's Father, Jon Voight, Crashes the Party

Nobody likes a celebration crasher, specially when the party might be the premiere of Angelina Jolie's directorial debut as well as the crasher is her semi-estranged father, Jon Voight. Thursday evening in La, the actress's father switched up for the premiere of 'In The Land of Blood stream And Honey.' Although Jolie was all smiles as Voight emerged and hugged her, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter he succeeded surprise -- which Angie wasn't happy relating to this. According to THR, "Because the producers could not stop carpeting photogs from getting upset shots of Jon and Angelina in the brief and noticeably awkward embrace, the condition party digital digital photographer was presented with strict instructions not to take any photos of Voight -- without or with Angelina. As well as the party's security forces informed to keep him not even close to Kaira and Angie with the evening." Jolie hasn't had the most effective relationship along with her father, in a present interview by having an hour, she recognized that all things have become better. (In 2002, Voight ongoing TV and mentioned his daughter had "mental problems.") When the report recent is true, "better" likely did not mean arriving without any invitation to her movie premiere. [via THR] [Photo: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM] 'In The Land Of Blood stream And Honey' Premiere Photos See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Scripps Networks Focused on Growing Niche Channels

New outings from Glee, New Girl and Raising Hope helped Fox top the competition for the key adults 18-49 demographic on Tuesday, though all three programs were down from last week. The network averaged a 2.9 rating for the night, with an audience of 6.4 million, kicking things off with a 9 percent dip for Glee. Its 2.9 score among adults 18-49 marked a season low. New Girl also hit a series low, dropping 6 percent to a 3.4 rating. Raising Hope was also down to a 2.2 in the demo, dropping 8 percent from last week. PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of Fox's 'New Girl' CBS and NBC tied for second in the demo, with the former offering a block of reruns. Encores of NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and Unforgettable gave the network a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 for the night, with the night's strongest showing in viewers, 10.8 million. NBC pushed its two-hour The Biggest Loser until 9 p.m. to accommodate A Michael Bublé Christmas. The singer's holiday special posted a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 set for the hour. The Biggest Loser averaged 2.2, giving the network its 2.0 average and a total audience of 6.9 million. PHOTOS: Fall TV Death Pool: Which New Shows Will Be Axed? Other series posting season lows were ABC's Last Man Standing, Man Up! and Body of Proof. Tim Allen's freshman comedy grabbed a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49, while it's struggling neighbor at 8:30 pulled a 1.6. Dana Delany's sophomore drama also dropped to a 1.5. Adding in a block of repeats from The Middle and Suburgatory at 9:00, the net averaged a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49 for the night and 5.9 million viewers. Over on the CW, a new episode of 90210 rose a tenth of a point for a 0.8 with 18-49-ers. A Ringer repeat grabbed just a 0.4. Tuesday, Dec. 6, Overnight Ratings: 8 p.m. Fox: Glee (7.1 million, 2.9 rating in adults 18-49) ABC: Last Man Standing (8.7 million, 2.6) CBS: NCIS (R) (12.7 million viewers, 2.1) NBC: A Michael Bublé Christmas (7.2 million, 1.5) The CW: 90210 (1.5 million, 0.8) 8:30 p.m. ABC: Man Up! (4.8 million, 1.6) 9 p.m. Fox: New Girl (6.8 million, 3.4) NBC: The Biggest Loser (6.8 million, 2.2) CBS: NCIS: Los Angeles (R) (12.1 million, 2.1) ABC: The Middle (R) (3.8 million, 1.1) The CW: Ringer (R) (841,000, 0.4) 9:30 p.m. Fox: Raising Hope (4.6 million, 2.2) ABC: Suburgatory (R) (4.0 million, 1.3) 10 p.m. NBC: The Biggest Loser (6.7 million, 2.3) CBS: Unforgettable (R) (7.8 million, 1.6) ABC: Body of Proof (7.2 million, 1.5) TV Ratings

IMDb Explains Why 40-Year-Old Actress Shouldn't Fear Blacklisting

Martin Scorsese will be honored at the 17th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards.our editor recommendsBox Office Report: Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo' Overperforms on ThanksgivingMartin Scorsese to Direct 'The Snowman' for Working TitleMartin Scorsese Calls Filming 'Hugo' in 3D 'An Enjoyable Headache' Chosen by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), the Hugo director has been tapped to receive the Critics' Choice Music+Film Award. The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on VH1 on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 at 8 p.m. from the Hollywood Palladium. PHOTOS: Martin Scorsese On Set The honor comes at an opportune time for Scorsese and Hugo, which was named best film by the National Board of Review. Scorsese was also named best director by the National Board of Review. "This year's Critics' Choice Movie Awards marks another gratifying collaboration with the Broadcast Film Critics Association and our partners at VH1," says Joey Berlin, president of BFCA. "With a very impressive lineup of films featuring the world's biggest stars under consideration this year, we look forward to a truly spectacular show highlighted by the presentation of the Music+Film Award to Martin Scorsese, one of the greatest filmmakers of all time." COVER STORY: The Dreams of Martin Scorsese The Music+Film Award honors a filmmaker who has touched audiences through cinematic storytelling and has heightened the impact of films through the use of source and music. Scorsese has had a storied career, with films like Mean Streets, The Departed, Goodfellas and music documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World. Quentin Tarantino received the first Music+Film Award. The Critics' Choice Movie Awards, held by the BFCA, honor the best in cinematic achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics' organization in the U.S. and Canada. Nominees for the Critics' Choice Movie Awards will be announced Tuesday, Dec. 13. Nominating ballots went out to members on Dec. 5 and the deadline to return them is Dec. 11. The awards ceremony is executive produced by Jesse Ignjatovic for Den of Thieves, Berlin for Berlin Entertainment and Lee Rolontz for VH1. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Martin Scorsese: Into the Past Related Topics Martin Scorsese Hugo

Peter Weller Boards The Exorcist 2

He'll join the castGiven that he's lately been RoboCop (two occasions) and may forever have a very recognition for playing Buckaroo Banzai, it is not like Peter Weller must come in another famous sci-fi franchise. But that's just what he's doing, as Deadline has confirmed he'll join the completely new The Exorcist follow-up.As Qq Abrams prepares to begin shooting round the movie the next month, he's searching to incorporate progressively more stars for the roster. Benicio Del Toro reaches predicts play a villain, but according to Vulture, he's apparently not showed up in an offer. Oh, too as with the identical report, the continuing is-he-isn't-he debate on Khan Noonien Singh since the villain was thrown for the next loop by "sources" proclaiming that the genetically-mucked around superman might have up.Just what will Weller be playing? There's so little solid particulars concerning the film up to now it's tough to guess, though there's talk from the older baddie inside the movie, and Weller certainly knows how you can access the gloomy when he desires to.A lot more recently, he's been keeping the acting CV filled with the type of 24, Dexter, Fringe together with a load of indie movies, although yanking duties behind the digital camera, pointing the type of Monk and Sons Of Anarchy.The Exorcist 2 will feature returning cast people Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg and John Cho and you'll be out mid-2013.

David Cronenberg Has Seen the very first Two 'Twilight' Movies

You'd never be prepared to hear what David Cronenberg and 'Twilight' within the same sentence -- that's before the 'Dangerous Method' director cast Taylor Lautner in the approaching movie, 'Cosmopolis.' Inside it, a 28-year-old billionaire (Pattinson) travels around Manhattan during the day in the limousine. Most experts aren't exactly fawning within the 'Twilight' films -- or for your matter, Pattinson's performance -- but Cronenberg saw something in Robert, particularly after watching his non-vampire moments in 'Remember Me' and 'Little Ashes.' That's not saying he wasn't impressed with Pattinson's act as A Vampire Named Edward (yes, the guy behind 'Videodrome' has seen 'Twilight' and 'New Moon'). "I had been impressed together with his screen presence and lots of his stillness, and lots of other activities. However the other movies demonstrated me he'd range. He'd the number which i wanted," Cronenberg told Vulture's Jada Yuan. So has he seen 'Breaking Beginning Part 1' yet? "I believe I'll wait for a screener." Additionally to 'Cosmopolis,' Cronenberg also talks about his current film, 'A Harmful Method,' which stars Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Some experts have pointed out this film is not particularly "Cronenbergian," a notion the director could care less about. That's totally, totally irrelevant. See, this is common. I am frequently telling experts they shouldn't confuse their process with mine. I do not care what movies I have made before. I do not care what individuals think is Cronenbergian or otherwise. It's irrelevant in my experience. It's as if I'd never made another movie when I am causeing this to be movie. There is nothing will be able to originate from individuals other movies, or what individuals believe that I actually do, that's artistically useful in my experience. When I am causeing this to be movie, once I have made the decision that yeah, this can be a subject that interests me, I am will make this movie, I simply concentrate on it. It's from the moment. The film informs me what it really wants. I pay attention to the film it informs me what it really wants when it comes to style, visual style, dramatic style. And That I don't have any need to impose some preconceived concept of Cronenbergness around the project. Cronenberg continues to go over the problem of financing films, particularly throughout an economic depression, in addition to his ideas on Occupy Wall Street. If you are a Cronenberg fan, the whole interview is certainly worth your time and effort. 'A Harmful Method' is presently in theaters. 'Cosmopolis' is scheduled for any 2012 release date. [via Vulture] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Mix: 'Luther' creator aims for bigscreen success

Neil CrossDon't let his dark tales and disturbed figures fool you for just about any guy which has developed a living from weaving tales of crooked cops, mass murderers and speaking psychopaths, Neil Mix can be a damn funny guy. It's understandable that sometimes takes fans suddenly.InchBizarrely, I buy lots of people that are, In my opinion, disappointed to discover that i'm not just a psychopath," states the writer, whose stints on British television shows include "Spooks" and "The Fixer," together with a creator credit round the hit BBC mental crime drama "Luther." It absolutely was only determined by time before art galleries came calling.While making the transition into film, Mix produced a camaraderie with Guillermo del Toro. A few Cross' scripts -- a supernatural horror titled "Mama" together with a dark action/drama titled "Evening time Delivery" -- are increasingly being produced by del Toro. Mix, who's signed with UTA, also written the current draft of del Toro's alien invasion film "Off-shoreline Rim" for Warner Bros."The finest assistance to any creative process might be the having the mortgage," he jokes. "It disallows the remote possibility of anything resembling writer's block."Fans of "Luther" will happily realize that concentrate on the next series has started, though Mix hints that it's going to probably be its last. "Idris (Elba) can be a busy guy."Signs look wonderful, however, it won't function as before audiences start to see the character. "There's a powerful possibility you will notice a 'Luther' movie soon,Inch states Mix.Could a Neil Mix romantic comedy maintain our future?"Yeah," Mix laughs. "Boy meets girl. Boy falls deeply deeply in love with girl. Boy decapitates girl."TEN SCREENWRITERS To Check Out 2011:Josh Applebaum & Andrew Nemec Jay Baruchel & Jesse Chabot Justin Britt-Gibson Neil Mix Andrew Haigh Kurt Johnstad Lauryn Kahn Paula Pell Jon Spaihts John Yorkey Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com