Netflix's U.K. bow beats anticipation

LONDON -- As Netflix reported buoyant quarterly earnings on Wednesday, the organization also says its Jan. 9 launch in Blighty and Ireland choose to go much better than expected. Inside a letter to investors, chief professional Reed Hastings stated that in Blighty, Netflix was "seeing faster member growth than we did whenever we released in Canada." Hastings noted that as membership elevated, the organization would have the ability to purchase more content. Netflix, whose major rivals within the U.K. are Amazon . com-possessed Lovefilm and BSkyB, has guaranteed a raft of handles content companies, including exclusive handles Lionsgate U.K. and Momentum Pictures, that will see photos for example "The Hunger Games" and "Shame" streamed around the service. Hastings noted that lengthy-term competition "will probably be Sky Go offering Sky Movies and Sky Atlantic on-demand." "We feel we'll compete effectively against Sky Go given our benefits of becoming an unbundled, low-listed offering with broad content that's purely on-demand and personalized," Hastings stated. "Over in the future, hopefully to have the ability to grow big enough to outbid Sky for a number of from the major studio output deals, once we did this season for MGM." Netflix's worldwide revenue for 2011's 4th quarter was $29 million, that they stated was consistent with anticipation. Within the first quarter of 2012, Hastings added, "Combined opportunities in South America and also the U.K. and Ireland can lead to an overall total worldwide lack of between $108 million and $118 million." "Later on quarters, we plan to increase our purchase of this content libraries in each market, just like we've completed in Canada since launch," he added. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

New images of Amanda Seyfried in Lovelace

A couple of new pics have emerged from the set of porn star biopic Lovelace this morning, with Amanda Seyfried showing off her '70s makeover as adult entertainer Linda Lovelace.The new images show Seyfried in a phone booth sporting a rather hideous thigh-length cardigan and looking a mite concerned about whatever's being said at the other end of the line.The film, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, is based on Eric Danville's biography The Complete Linda Lovelace, and will tell the story of Linda Boreman's rise to fame as the star of infamous 1972 skin-flick Deep Throat.The film will be broken into three segments, told from the perspective of three different interviewers, charting Linda's journey from Boreman to Lovelace and finally to Marciano, the name she took when she became an anti-porn activist.Peter Sarsgaard will play Lovelace's abusive husband Chuck Traynor, with James Franco, Wes Bentley, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Eric Roberts and Juno Temple also among the all-star cast.Lovelace will be released later in the year, with an official release date still to be confirmed.

Wrekin Hill, Row 1 grab 'Dark Tide'

Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Row 1 Prods. allow us U.S. rights to John Stockwell's action thriller "Dark Tide," starring Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez.The sale, introduced Friday, requires Lionsgate to create "Tide" first on VOD and EST on March 8, a theatrical release and digital download release on March 30. Wrekin Hill, which began methods a year ago, mentioned the "Tide" release is an element from the overall agreement with Lionsgate. "The star souped up that Halle Berry gives 'Dark Tide' coupled with a genre which hits VOD audiences transform it into a perfect accessory for the Ultra VOD strategy." mentioned Jim Packer, Lionsgate Leader of Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution. Pic's directed by John Stockwell ("To the Blue") and composed byAmy Sorlie and Ronnie Christensen with different story by Sorlie. Producers are Jeanette Buerling and Matthew Chausse. Berry shows a shark expert whose business remains failing since a shark attack destroyed another diver under her command. The sale was talked about by Chris Ball and Rene Cogan for Wrekin Hill and Brandt Andersen regarding Row 1 with Stuart Ford and Jonathan Deckter of IM Global regarding the filmmakers. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Berlinger docu combined with 'Graceland'

Joe Berlinger's documentary "Under African Skies," concerning the stormy creation and broad influence of Paul Simon's landmark 1986 album "Graceland," will end up an essential component of The new sony Legacy's 25th anniversary re-discharge of the set after its Sundance premiere on Sunday. After an airing on the&E along with a limited theatrical run, feature can look inside a director's cut version with an broadened collector's boxed edition of "Graceland" to become launched by The new sony Music Entertainment's catalog unit this spring. Within an interview with Variety this past year, Simon intimated that the "Graceland" tour together with his original South African collaborators might be within the offing in 2012, but a Legacy spokesperson stated nothing official have been made the decision up to now. Berlinger's feature revisits the debate surrounding the building of "Graceland," which singer-songwriter Simon recorded in Nigeria using indigenous music artists throughout the nation's limited era of apartheid along with a U.N. cultural boycott of the united states. This past year, the director traveled to Nigeria, where Simon carried out with people from the original "Graceland" troupe -- including trumpeter Hugh Masekela, vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and guitarist Ray Phiri -- inside a reunion concert. Besides Simon and also the principal gamers, pic features interviews with Quincy Johnson, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney, David Byrne and Peter Gabriel, in addition to key anti-apartheid activists. A pioneering world-music work, "Graceland" remains typically the most popular and many highly famous of Simon's solo releases. It's credited with worldwide sales of 14 million and spent 97 days around the U.S. album chart. It received a Grammy for album of the season later the year after, its title track received song of the season honors. "It is the peak of my career, I believe,Inch Simon told Variety this past year. Besides a DVD from the Berlinger film, Legacy's "Graceland" reissue will contain bonus tracks, which might include live renditions of fabric in the album from Simon's original 1987-88 tour dates. "Graceland" was initially launched by Warner Bros. Records. This past year, The new sony Legacy assumed charge of Simon's entire back catalog and started a comprehensive reissue campaign. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

First Look: Damages Ups the Girl Power

Janet McTeer and Rose Byrne When Patty Hewes talks, people listen - and the same goes for Glenn Close. "Last year felt a little guy-heavy," says the star of Damages, which featured John Goodman, Dylan Baker and Chris Messina in Season 4. "So Rose Byrne and I asked the producers to bring in more strong females." Hence, the final season (debuting this summer on DirecTV) boasts Janet McTeer - not coincidentally, Close's fellow Golden Globe and SAG Awards nominee for Albert Nobbs. Plus, Dharma & Greg alum Jenna Elfman explores her dark side as a corporate whistle-blower. Another upside for network-TV vet Elfman? "I get to curse," she says. "And I love cursing!" Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Berlinale fetes Meryl Streep

StreepBERLIN -- The Berlin Film Festival is praising Meryl Streep this season having a homage and honorary Golden Bear."We're delighted to have the ability to award the honorary Golden Bear to this type of terrific artist and world star," stated Berlinale topper Dieter Kosslick. "Meryl Streep is a great, versatile artist who moves effortlessly between dramatic and comedy roles."The fest will show Streep using the honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement in a February. 14 screening of her latest work, Phyllida Lloyd's "The Iron Lady," in the Berlinale Palast.Research of energy and losing energy, the film imagines how Thatcher, in the finish of her existence, might think back through fragmented reminiscences to weigh-in the personal price of her choices.Streep has made an appearance in additional than 40 films, received numerous honours and nominations, including 16 Oscar noms, a couple of which she won, and 18 Golden Globe nominations and 7 wins.Streep's worldwide breakthrough arrived the late seventies using the TV series "Holocaust" and Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter." She continued to win Academy awards on her performances in Robert Benton's divorce drama "Kramer versus. Kramer" and Alan J. Pakula's "Sophie's Choice," each of which will screen included in the Berlinale Homage series.Also unspooling is going to be Sydney Pollack's "From Africa," Clint Eastwood's "The Bridges of Madison County" and Robert Altman's "A Prairie Home Companion," which opened in Berlin in 2006.Streep also attended the fest in 1999, when she was granted the Berlinale Camera, as well as in 2003, when she shared a Silver Bear with Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman for his or her performances Stephen Daldry's "The Hrs."The Berlinale runs February. 9-19. Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com