Blu-ray friends Facebook to keep sales up

With Blu-ray sales growing this year, the Digital Entertainment Group wants to keep the momentum going during the holidays and has enlisted Hollywood and the consumer electronics biz to launch the largest social media campaign for the format through Facebook. As the overall homevideo biz is enjoying a 5% boost in revenue during the third quarter -- its first quarterly sales increase since 2008 -- more than 100 Facebook pages will launch a "Win big with Blu-ray" sweepstakes that will "educate movie lovers on the benefits of Blu-ray home entertainment," the DEG said. Bert Kreischer, host of Travel Channel's "Bert The Conqueror," is serving as spokesman for the sweepstakes, in which winners will be awarded a Blu-ray prize pack each week. Kreischer and the DEG produced three short videos that will appear on participating partners' Facebook pages. Effort launches this week and runs through the next 15 weeks. All of the major studios are taking part in the campaign, as are indie distribs like Anchor Bay and Image Entertainment and consumer electronics manufacturers like LG Electronics, Panasonic, Sony Electronics and Toshiba America Information Systems. "The top 20 Hollywood film pages alone on Facebook have more than 250 million collective 'likes,' so by teaming up with more than 100 similar partners, we knew this could be one of the largest sweepstakes ever to be conducted on Facebook," said Amy Jo Smith, executive director of the DEG. "Consumers are spending nearly eight hours per month on Facebook now. There's no better way to tout the benefits of Blu-ray to engaged and receptive consumers across the country." Promotion is powered by Peer Squared, developers of the ShareAndTell Pro social sweepstakes and rewards platform. The DEG reported Monday that third-quarter sales of all homevideo titles in the U.S. totaled $3.9 billion, up from $3.7 billion a year ago. Blu-ray generated $423 million during the third quarter, thanks to top sellers like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "Thor," "X-Men: First Class," "Bridesmaids," "Fast Five" and "Star Wars: The Complete Saga." Streaming, electronic sales, and VOD grew 50% to $812 million during the quarter, with VOD alone, earning $420 million of that during the three-month period, up 5%. The rental biz still generated $607 million from subscription-based disc-by-mail services like Netflix, which grew 5%, and $414 million hauled in by rentals from kiosks like Redbox during the quarter. DVD sales were off 15% to $1.3 billion. Overall, the sale of Blu-rays earned $1.23 billion for the first three quarters of the year, compared to $1 billion for the same period a year ago. Much of the uptick is still being attributed to "Avatar," which sold 11 million units on Blu-ray. Before that film, titles generated 16% of their sales, on average, from the Blu-ray format. Now, it's at around 25%, with many titles moving more than 50% on Blu-ray. An estimated 52% of homes in the U.S. now own a Blu-ray player, representing 33.5 million households, the DEG said. However, the entire home entertainment sector is still down 2% to $12.3 billion for the first three quarters. Still any signs of growth of physical discs is welcomed by Hollywood's homevid divisions, given how studios are trying to coax more consumers to buy rather than rent movies. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

AFM: Indomina Group Will get Cabin Fever

La, CA October 31, 2011 It had been introduced today the Indomina Group, the short-growing U.S. and Dominican Republic based producer and distributor of film, TV and trans-media content, and leading proponent of fanboy cinema is resurrecting the most popular Cabin Fever franchise and can produce and distribute a minimum of two more movies. The announcement is made by Indomina Group Vice Chairman and Boss Jasbinder Singh Mann. The Indomina Group has optioned the privileges for 2 new Cabin Fever payments, which is Cabin Fever: Patient Zero and Cabin Fever: Outbreak. The flicks is going to be shot to in tobago at the begining of Spring of 2012. Mike Wade Wall (The Hitcher, When Other people Call) has signed onto pen the script for Cabin Fever: Patient Zero. Whenever a cruiseship within the Caribbean collides by having an abandoned research vessel, a deadly virus is unleashed. People must try to survive prior to the flesh eating disease consumes all of them. Cabin Fever: Outbereak has been compiled by Adam and Deborah Marcus (Leatherface three dimensional, I Walked Having a Zombie). Within this film a physician and the family visit an online Caribbean island to research a small flu outbreak, simply to uncover a vicious flesh-eating virus that intends everybody around the island. The household is confronted with responsibility to avoid an international epidemic. Original Cabin Fever producer Hypotenuse Pictures is creating these next two films. Indomina Group Vice Chairman and Boss Jasbinder Singh Mann is executive producer on films. We have seen tremendous potential using the Cabin Fever franchise, stated Singh Mann. We're carrying out to 2 new Cabin Fever films because there's a genuine demand from the devout fanbase not only Cabin Fever die hards but a sizable and vocal number of horror fans all over the world. Indomina is excited to accept reigns from the franchise and deliver on these next two films. The Indomina Group continues to be active recently, getting lately acquired United States distribution privileges (in addition to financing and selling) the comedy An Incredible Anxiety about Everything starring Simon Pegg (Rob from the Dead, Hot Fuzz) along with the thriller Existence Without Principle the latest film from worldwide acclaimed director/producer and contemporary maestro of Hong Kongese action cinema Johnnie To. In This summer, Indomina introduced a partnership with Samuel L. Jackson to make a new live action Afro Samurai film in line with the popular animated series which has created a remarkable franchise along with a global following. This long awaited film project is anticipated in the future off the floor in 2012. Indomina’s significantly-acclaimed epic adventure Detective Dee and also the Mystery from the Phantom Flame directed by Tsui Hark is around the home stretch of the effective theatrical run that first viewed it generate the greatest per-screen box office average at work Day holiday weekend in The United States. Other recent releases range from the romantic comedy Griff the Invisible, starring Ryan Kwanten (True Bloodstream), Yuen Woo Pings fighting techinques feature “True Legend,” starring Vincent Zhao, Zhou Xun, Michelle Yeoh and also the late David Carradine, and Teddy Chans award-wining Security officers & Assassins.

Cablevision Third-Quarter Video Subs, Profit Decline

NY - Cablevision Systems on Friday reported a lower third-quarter profit and said it lost 19,000 video subscribers in the latest period. In the year-ago period, the cable operator had lost 24,500 video subs, and in the second quarter it had lost 23,000, meaning subscriber momentum improved in the latest period. The subscriber declines were also less pronounced than Wall Street observers had predicted. The news came a day after Time Warner Cable said it continued to lose video subs in the latest quarter, but fewer than a year earlier - the first time in about two years that it had noted such an improvement. Analysts lauded better-than-expected subscriber trends, but were disappointed by the weaker-than-projected financials. Cablevision, controlled by the Dolan family, said Friday that its third-quarter earnings amounted to $39.6 million, compared with $112.4 million in the year-ago period, down 65 percent, even though revenue rose 8 percent to $1.67 billion, driven by the acquisition of Bresnan Communications. Among the drags on the bottom line, which came in below Wall Street estimates, were about $16 million in costs related to Hurricane Irene, $3 million in debt extinguishment costs and write-offs of deferred financing costs, which the company didn't have in the year-ago period, higher interest expense and $95 million in investment losses. Cablevision said it added 17,000 broadband subscribers and 38,000 telephony customers. After its slight decline in video subs, the firm had 3.26 million video customers at the end of September. "Our cable operations reported improved subscriber metrics that included increases in both high-speed data customers and voice lines, while the company continued to generate healthy free cash flow," said CEO James Dolan. "As we are operating in a challenging environment, we are continuing our efforts to capitalize on the strength of our network and products and on building our business for the long-term." Still, Cablevision shares were trading down more than 6.6 percent as of 10am ET. "We believe that a higher level of marketing spend during the Verizon strike in August played a significant part in the [operating cash flow] weakness and positively impacted subscriber net adds, which exceeded our estimates and consensus estimates," Evercore Partners analyst Bryan Kraft said. Echoed Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker: "This is a very mixed quarter with financials missing and share repurchases lower than expectations while [subscribers] beat. We believe both the weaker financials and superior subscriber metrics are a result of higher acquisition and retention spending." On a conference call, Cablevision management said it continues to push for reforms in retransmission consent fee negotiations with content providers. Amid recent talk about potential moves by pay TV operators to introduce more a la carte programming offers, the company said it doesn't expect the current business model to change much over the near-term. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics Cablevision Earnings

'Avengers' Trailer Features Loki's Arrival In The World, Teases Tom Hiddleston

Are you currently presently thinking about Loki's first appearance inside the "Avengers" trailer, wondering whether this is actually the Asgardian villain's first arrival in the world inside the film? Question ignore: Tom Hiddleston confirmed to MTV News that, yes, you are indeed searching at Loki's grand entrance, even though particular how's and why's remain unclear. See what he required to say inside the video below. Have a look at more comic movie news past the jump! "Walking" Recap The second episode in the year of "The Walking Dead" opened up on Sunday (October 23), which author sitting driving from the week's recap. Give the read, and when you're thirsty for further "Dead" goodness, see what actor Jon Bernthal required to say in regards to the latest episode's Shane-centric cliffhanger! Millar For 3 It's a good week being comic author Mark Millar. The "Kick-Ass" creator gets back with director Matthew Vaughn on two adaptations "Superior" and "The Important Thing Service" and additionally, the rights for his comic "War Heroes" are actually snapped up up by Universal. Less than "Kick-Ass 2" levels of exciting, but awesome enough news nonetheless! "Avengers" Assemble On DVD! More "Avengers" news to suit your needs, while not in the movie variety. There's a unique clip from "The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes," the animated series that unleashed volumes 3-4 on DVD today (October 25). Uncover the shocking truth below to find out Thor kick an array of Asgardian tail! Reveal everything you consider current day Splash Page roundup inside the comments and also on Twitter!

New Immortals Pictures Online

Cop lots of Tarsem's Greek godsSay everything you like about Tarsem, however, you cannot seriously dispute the man's visual sense. Immortals, on November 11, seems being exactly the same with this rule, with amazingly handsome Greek gods* in bizarre costumes facing off against grubby (but oh-so-handsome) humans and demi-gods, introduced by HenryCavill's Theseus.The pictures here show Kellan Lutz (him from Twilight) as Poseidon, IsabelLucas (her from Transformers:Revenge OfThe Fallen) as Athena and Daniel Sharman (from hardly any really) as Ares. Also,Theseus and StephenDorff's Stavros.Following on within the trailer as well as the footage we'd at Comic-Disadvantage, and that we are rather searching toward this. Ultimately, even if you thinkTarsem puts style over substance, the form is considerable. *We understand we possibly shouldn't be startled because when pretty they are, with "seems just like a Greek god" like a compliment virtually everywhere, but bear in mind the final lot we'd were just a little older plus much more grizzled.

Why 'The Thing' Is Everything Wrong With Modern Hollywood

Usually, when writing about a new movie, it's customary to provide a plot summary and any other important information at the top of your piece. When talking about this weekend's 'The Thing,' however... eh, what's the point? If you're really interested in seeing 'The Thing,' you can stay in this weekend and watch it on DVD; it was made in 1982 by John Carpenter (itself an entirely radical new interpretation of 1951's 'The Thing From Another World'). If you've already seen the 1982 version, then stay in and watch it again. As a B-level sci-fi horror movie, the new 'The Thing' -- technically a prequel to the 1982 classic -- is serviceably fine. The moment you connect it to the John Carpenter version though, it collapses under the weight of its own pointlessness. To put it bluntly, 'The Thing' represents everything wrong with modern Hollywood. (WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW) What's most frustrating about the new 'Thing' is that by choosing to be a prequel to a pre-existing film, it acknowledges that the universe built by John Carpenter's project is so interesting, that it's worth exploring and expanding upon again. But instead of trying to tell a new story within that world or take advantage of that movie's cleverness, 'The Thing' takes whatever uniqueness was possessed in the original and crams it into the generic template for "scary movie" that we've seen over and over again. Here's just one example: When the young American scientist (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) hides in the air duct of the Thing's spaceship, and the monster pops out to scare her and slowly walk toward her before she grabs the grenade she's dropped, it's a dull and lifeless moment. Because despite establishing that the Thing is a parasitic creature capable of cellular transference, it still likes to meander over to its prey. And despite it being hundreds of thousands of years old and predatory on a microscopic level, it still can't crawl into a vent on its own spaceship. And despite it's ship being so advanced that it can cross light years of dead space, it still takes 7 minutes to warm up the engine -- just enough time for the scientist to make her escape. But, hey: that's how these moments were done in 'Friday the 13th Part 6' or 'The Relic' or hundreds of other indistinguishable horror movies so why change the formula? Gone is the methodical cinematography bathed in the darkness of an Antarctic wasteland; this time the camera is static, making sure to record everything, so no shadow is left hovering over the scene. The acclaimed special effects of the original by Rob Bottin (with help from Stan Winston) are replaced primarily by CGI -- giving the actors nothing to react to in the scene. You may think this is a minor detail, but when we can identify the monster on-screen as being computer animation and not a weird, slimy, tangible thing standing next to the actors, it creates a disconnect in the audience telling us "this is fake." Watch the trailer for 'The Thing' (2011)' This new movie removes all the quiet, creeping dread of the original and replaces it with crashes, bangs and explosions. Will you jump out of your seat? Of course you will; it's easy to make a horror movie filled with "jump scares" when you blast the audio to its highest level and assault your audience with out-of-nowhere screams. It's impossible to not flinch in those moments. Even if it was involuntary, it still counts as a jump apparently. And even though it's designated as a prequel, it straight up lifts memorable set pieces from the first movie, making it so two separate groups of people -- who have never met each other and come from completely different cultural backgrounds -- just so happen to react with the exact same kind of behavior to indescribable extraterrestrial phenomena. The coincidental synchronicity is not played for any kind of cosmic irony other than "Hey, it worked in the first movie, so we can do it again without it losing any impact." The whole thing is one big labored struggle to get us to the opening moments of the original movie, which means everyone dies and nothing has changed. It's ultimate goal is to revoke any gains it makes, just so it fills out small details from the original and provides a "wink" to fans of the first. The driving force behind the movie is to answer the question of "What happened before the first movie began?" But what everyone involved with this production failed to consider was that question is better left as rhetorical. Watch the trailer for John Carpenter's 'The Thing' Trailer #1 The Thing - MOVIECLIPS.com A prequel is the worst kind of horror movie you could make, and fundamentally misses the point of the genre. The reason horror remains so timelessly effective is the way it plays on an audience's fears of both the unknown and of losing control. However, the ultimate goal of a prequel is to answer lingering questions and explain how everything worked. Why should an audience be scared of the thing moving around in the shadows, if you are trying to reveal everything about it? What most boggles the mind is if Universal really wanted to revisit the world of 'The Thing,' did they think this was the best approach? To strip it of all its originality and turn it into another generic "scare of the week," that audiences will forget about after opening weekend? At that point, why not just re-release the original in theaters for a special Halloween run? 'The Lion King' has proven that audiences will return to an old movie on the big screen if they love it enough. If you argue that John Carpenter's movie is too dated for modern audiences, then why did they choose to make a new movie that actually takes place before it? The reason 'The Thing' is everything wrong with modern Hollywood is because it's assembly-line movie making. Even with all the remakes and prequels and sequels and adaptations, all these varied sources of inspiration get churned into the same type of final product. You can have the most exotic ingredients in the world, but when all you do is shove them in a blender and turn them into mush, people will get fed up with the meal. To complete the food analogy: if the original 'Thing' was a gourmet meal crafted by a talented chef, this is cheap junk food you can get from a box. Don't we deserve a better menu? Images from 'The Thing' (2011) See All Moviefone Galleries » [Photos courtesy of Universal Studios] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Swank Regrets Attending Chechen Concert

First Launched: October 13, 2011 9:50 AM EDT Credit: Getty Images MOSCOW, Russia -- Caption Hilary Swank hits the red-colored-colored carpet the premiere of Something Given at Graumans Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on May 3, 2011 Hollywood celebrity Hilary Swank mentioned she deeply regrets seeing a concert held round the birthday in the Kremlin-backed Chechen leader, who's billed with torture, abductions and killings by human rights groups. The Two-time Oscar champion mentioned they wasn't aware in the disappearances, house torchings and extra-judicial killings apparently orchestrated by Ramzan Kadyrov inside the southern Russian republic. I deeply regret attending the marriage, Swank mentioned in the written message for the Connected Press on Thursday. Essentially stood a full understanding of the items the marriage was apparently intended as, I'd not have access to gone. Swank launched this content following a Human Rights Watch belittled her as well as Belgian actor Jean Claude Van Damme and British violinist Vanessa Mae for transporting on the demonstrate that, it states, trivializes the suffering of several people with human rights abuses. Reps for Van Damme and Mae haven't taken proper care of immediately APs demands for comment. On Kadyrovs 35th birthday on March. 5, his government organized a luxurious concert in Chechnyas provincial capital, Grozny, which has been restored after being flattened throughout two wars between Chechen separatists and Moscow since 1994. The stars additionally to a lot of Russian people in politics and celebs switched as much as congratulate and lavish Kadyrov with praise in the stage arranged from the gigantic mosque together with a lately built business center. Through the birthday show, Swank mentioned they have been taken with the Chechen government government bodies passion to produce peace also to make something beautiful. She mentioned in their apology that her invitation for the concert made no mention of the Kadyrovs birthday. Within the show, Swank also came out being one of the handful of women to use no headscarf even though women in Chechnya are compelled to stay with an Islami dress code. People who will not obey have apparently faced risks and harrassment from Kadyrovs feared security forces. Swank won Oscars on her behalf roles in Boys Dont Cry and Big Baby. Her screen credits have Freedom Authors, 'P.S. I Like You together with Amelia. Kadyrov can be a former separatist digital digital rebel which has boasted of killing his first Russian soldier at 15. He visited the federal government side at the outset of the second Chechen war in 1999. A string of Kadyrovs experts and political rivals are actually very wiped out lately in Russia, Austria, Dubai and Chicken. Kadyrov has consistently declined participation the majority of the killings, saying the accusations are fabricated to blacken his title. The birthday show was the newest in many pricey and extravagant occasions backed by Kadyrovs government despite Chechnyas high poverty and unemployment rates. He's spent vast amounts to obtain well-bred horses that have played inside a couple of from the cell phone industry's richest races also to renovate a soccer stadium in Grozny. Worldwide soccer tales have visited Chechnya to see friendly matches. Under Kadyrovs leadership, Chechnya has become relatively quiet, as well as the insurgent violence has largely migrated to neighboring republics in the volatile North Caucasus region. Copyright 2011 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Rodney Atkins Reunites Together With His Birth Mother

First Released: October 12, 2011 10:54 AM EDT Credit: Getty Images Caption Rodney Atkins talks in the #1 Party for Have A Back Road at Body mass index in Nashville, Tenn., on October 3, 2011NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When individuals become famous, lengthy-lost relatives frequently emerge from the woodwork. That grew to become a specific problem for country singer Rodney Atkins who launched his 4th album, Have A Back Road, a week ago when he grew to become the spokesperson for that National Council for Adoption in 2008. Everyone was coming up to him with bags of hair wanting DNA tests, and that he couldnt easily determine who his relatives were. Atkins was utilized being an infant and didnt have connection with his birth family. I desired to shut that door, stated Atkins, 42, inside a recent interview. So in August of 2008, Atkins experienced the correct channels and reunited together with his birth mother in Nashville. It struck me at that time, walking for the reason that room, dealing with know her, Atkins stated. Shes an excellent, beautiful lady. I recognized the reason I desired to achieve that was without anything related to my parents. Im glad Used to do that actually, really, really on her. Shes been transporting that around, wondering what went down, and that i could tell it had been this type of relief. His birth mother became pregnant at 19. She hid her pregnancy from her family, and ultimately made a decision to give Atkins up for adoption rather than getting an abortion. For privacy reasons, Atkins didn't wish to reveal her identity. I simply desired to let her know thanks, because she'd another options to finish that situation, stated Atkins, temporarily halting. I is probably not here. Which means you shouldn't become complacent. She stored saying, Im sorry. I stored saying, Thanks. His birth mother continued to got married and also have another boy of her very own. Her boy revealed to Atkins that each all year long spring, his moms mood would change, and that he never understood why so far. Atkins birthday is within March. His adoptive parents, Allan and Margaret Atkins, appear to have been encouraging from the reunion. They can traveled lower to satisfy Atkins birth mother and introduced some reminiscences together. My mother come up with pictures from the moment I had been a baby to some couple of years back to trap her up and allow her to see what my existence was like, stated Atkins. Atkins discloses a great deal about his idyllic upbringing in rural East Tennessee onhis new album, Have A Back Road. The title track lately spent multiple days at No. 1 around the country charts and discusses using the lengthy way the place to find escape the strain of contemporary existence. Other tunes, including Hes Mine and Becoming An Adult Like This reflect his role like a father and also the hard-working, family values he hopes to pass through onto 10-year-old boy Elijah. Atkins sings about those who have meant probably the most to him in the song, Lifelines. Basically spent the relaxation of my existence getting despite the folks which had assisted me out, I'd never settle the score, stated Atkins. Lucrative includes his birth mother for the reason that group. Atkins stated it required lots of courage for his birth mother to undergo existence with this particular secret, and much more courage to show it to her family. Before her very own mother died lately, she could introduce Atkins to his grandmother. She needed to let her know in the end these years, You've another grand son which i never said about. I cant imagine what shes been transporting, he stated. About eight several weeks following the reunion, Atkins received mothering sunday package within the mail from his birth mother. She'd found that Atkins had performed baseball like a kid and looked up to La Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey. The package contained Garveys MVP card, a baseball along with a Dodgers jersey, all personally signed by Garvey. Atkins was stunned. He known as his birth mother and thanked her abundantly, saying she weren't required to do that. She explained, You need to understand, Rodney, in my experience here's your first birthday. Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Kim Bubbs Divulges Spoiler-Free Secrets From 'The Thing' and 'On the Road'

Prepare to begin seeing much more of Kim Bubbs. The Canadian-born actress seems in 2 long awaited films set hitting the giant screen soon: this week's release 'The Factor,' which works as a prequel to John Carpenter's 1982 cult classic of the identical title, and 'On the street.A Bubbs stars alongside Garrett Hedlund, Mike Riley and Bella herself, Billy Burke, in 'On the street,A balance buzzed-about adaptation of Jack Kerouac's famous novel. Moviefone swept up using the budding star to discover much more about 'The Thing' and what it really was like dealing with Hedlund in 'On the street.A What sparked your curiosity about 'The Thing' initially? I figured it would be a brilliant idea to prequel John Carpenter's film. 'The Thing' provided an excellent chance to determine what went down in the Norwegian base since it is shrouded in mystery. We do not know precisely what happened there. And That I loved the truth that there have been two women in that one. How made it happen modify the dynamic while filming, getting another lady around the team? We'd a lot of fun. Mary Elizabeth [Winstead, of 'Scott Pilgrim versus The World'] is amazing. She's so professional and gifted. We'd such a lot of fun being an ensemble cast too. Everyone got along. It felt nearly the same as camp. So how exactly does this compare and lead into John Carpenter's version? Well, there is lots of care taken with this particular film because Carpenter's version is really a cult classic and that we desired to respect that. The effects were done manually and there is lots of puppetry in Carpenter's version, which element is within this film, that is great. Our film and the are certainly in the same world. Although it has got the same kind of feel, it's also a movie that may really stand by itself. Therefore it may attract a crowd beyond original fans of 'The Thing'? Oh, absolutely! One thing that's interesting would be the aspects of paranoia, isolation, being unsure of who to trust -- that whole mental element is actually intriguing, notable and compelling to look at. That which was it like shooting? I heard you had quite a elaborate occur Toronto... Yeah, it had been amazing. It had been so impressive to determine all the work the effects team did. We did some use eco-friendly screens, but many of the puppets and also the stuff was on set, therefore it really was awesome to have interaction by using it and find out all of the artistry behind it. Without giving an excessive amount of away, are you able to describe the puppetry a little many the kinds of effects don't be surprised to determine? The creature needs to seem sensible for films, so you will notice some commonalities between certain animals. How have you try 'On the Road'? That seems like a awesome project. Yes! It is a really awesome project, and it is an overall total departure from 'The Factor.' It's according to Jack Kerouac's famous book, and shot in seven locations around the world. For the reason that film I play Sal Paradise's -- performed by Mike Riley -- real, true woman. In the finish of his adventures he decides to alter his existence and settle lower with Laura, who's my character. Great cast. The director is Walter Salles, who directed 'The Motorcycle Journals.' I believe it will likely be a very exciting project being released the coming year. You will find lots of large names within the movie, like Billy Burke and Garrett Hedlund. That which was the dynamic like on set? The majority of my moments were with Garrett Hedlund and Mike Riley, who're fantastic. They are amazing. This can be a film that actually together with around, similar to the book. The funny part is the fact that shooting 'The Factor,' i was putting on snowpants in May, June, and that we were boiling. Then shooting 'On the Road' it had been December and that i is at a bustier ball gown. It had been quite funny. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Joel Edgerton on Big Moments, The Thing Prequel, and Avoiding 'The Hollywood Trap'

Australian actor Joel Edgerton has been in the business for a good 15 years, during which time he’s transitioned from Aussie TV to supporting turns in international films (Kinky Boots, King Arthur, and Star Wars: Episode II — Revenge of the Sith) and wrote and co-starred in the solid Australian thriller The Square with brother Nash (who directed). But in 2011 — on the heels of his work in the underperforming but critically-loved Warrior, on the eve of his lead turn in Universal’s prequel The Thing — he seems poised, finally, for his moment in the spotlight. The thought inspires mixed feelings for Edgerton. On the one hand, a higher profile means he’s been able to land bigger roles, like Tom Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming adaptation of The Great Gatsby. On the other hand, he admits on the subject of fame vs. artistry, “You’ve got to be really careful that you’re not falling into the Hollywood trap.” Edgerton rang Movieline to discuss his career at large and his work in Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.’s The Thing, in which he plays tough-but-sensitive American pilot Braxton Carter, one of a group of scientific research camp members blindsided by a shape-shifting alien creature in isolated Antarctica three days prior to the events of John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi classic. You filmed Warrior in 2009 and The Thing in 2010, but both are hitting theaters around the same time so this feels like the perfect time to talk with you. Does it feel like you’ve been waiting for this moment, this year? I don’t know! I feel like I’ve been waiting for a moment all my life. And it’s funny; when the moment comes, it doesn’t really feel like a moment. I’ve been banging the drum for so long, I figure at some point it would all culminate into something, except that ironically it sort of feels like the opposite, in a way. I just keep doing my thing and try not to get swept up in it, because I think the moment I get swept up in it all, it can easily evaporate and come crashing down. You know, to me I think I’m just going to keep focused and forward on what I’m doing, work-wise, rather than searching for any kind of meaning in it. It’s always risky to remake a beloved film property. How were you first convinced that re-imagining John Carpenter’s The Thing was a good idea, and a worthy project for you to join? If you’re a fan of the Carpenter version — I’ve got quite a few buddies who, like me, are a fan of the ‘82 Carpenter version, and when I first found out about this idea and discussed it with them they were like, it’s such a cool idea — I can’t believe no one’s thought about that before! It does answer questions that fans of the original may have, cleverly fitting itself into the Carpenter version in ways. Yeah, it’s sort of like taking the seam and creating a new section of the garment, in a way. It’s this great mystery that’s sort of left unsolved and in the Carpenter version it kind of just sets up the power and craziness of that alien. And yet as these guys prove, it can open up to create a whole story of its own. I’m very glad they did. Given the fact that so many people are familiar with the original film, what did you find was the challenge in introducing a new character to the framework in which viewers are already primed not to trust anyone? It’s sort of interesting, because back in the day there was the whole kind of human paranoia, human vs. human, alien vs. human paranoia. It sort of seemed to have a real social relevance in the ’80s and I think that same social relevance is here today, which is this question of, ‘Who is who?’ Who are the villains in society? I guess it would have been Communism that was the parallel back in the ’80s, but now there’s terrorism and the question of who’s out to get who. I think that’s an interesting reason why this could be relatable, but I don’t think it’s worth bringing too much into the foreground because on one hand, it’s a piece of entertainment. It’s not supposed to be too heavy a social allegory. But I think there is a bit of relevance to it. Have you seen the finished film already? Yeah, yeah — I saw it a couple of months ago, but I think it would have been a near-finished version of it, without the completely finished sound and music. Visually the film is at times so expansive, and at times quite claustrophobic. Some of the sets were quite large and extensive. Was there an immersive quality to it? There was such a real care of attention to detail to get the sets to feel and match the whole Carpenter feeling, and in fact the film was pointed in that direction, to give a sense of style and aesthetic and design that kept in with the Carpenter film. Beyond that, I feel like at the same time the filmmakers were not going to deny the sort of scale we expect out of movies these days and the sort of excitement we expect from them. Also, the more modern technology. So it seemed like the whole time there was one eye on the ’80s and one eye on the current period, and trying to make both of those things work in the film’s favor. This is the most recent in a string of roles for you in which you play an American. Coming from Australia have you found this to be an interesting development in your career as you break into Hollywood — the cultivation of a variety of American accents and characters? Yeah, it is! I always sort of run home and do movies in Australia and I’ve found a number of productions over here. A number of earlier things that I did that came out of L.A. were films that I shot in the U.K., like Kinky Boots and King Arthur. So I felt like I was getting work out of here then running off to another country to shoot. But it’s great participating in these big American movies and I guess what comes with that is then taking on the responsibility of playing American characters. It’s funny, I get more and more comfortable with it but at the same time there’s a real responsibility to make sure you get it right. Same with Warrior, sort of trying to find a relatability to the working class — Pittsburgh, working class, a fighter. All of those elements. The accent is just one element. But there’s a real responsibility as an actor to make sure you get those things right. I find it a responsibility to myself, out of fear of being crucified. [Laughs] I don’t want to end up on one of those ‘Worst accents in film’ lists. Looking back on the transitions you’ve gone through in your career, do you feel you’ve had to become more careful in your choices of roles and projects in the last few years as your star has been on the rise? Yeah. I mean, I don’t know how it is for other actors but I assume it could be a similar course. When you first start out, or when I first started out, it was just work — do whatever you can. Get noticed, get people hiring you. The only way for you to show what you can do is to actually do. You can’t really be picky when no one is offering you anything. And then, if you’re lucky, things start to roll along. But even still, there were never millions of choices. It was all about finding the projects that I liked and tackling them to the ground. Convince directors that I was the right person for the job. When you don’t have a high profile, quite often you just can’t get the jobs that you want. So it’s a kind of lovely, fortunate position where I can work all the time and I have options of working on various things. And strangely enough, just when I thought it was going to get easier it’s still on some level a little tougher, because you’re always looking for that right project and you want the challenge. Sometimes it’s tougher because where it all really boils down is taking bigger paychecks to do less interesting work. And if you really see yourself as an artist or as an actor you like a challenge anyway. You’ve got to be really careful that you’re not falling into the Hollywood trap, you know? For me, it’s just like I have to remind myself of what keeps me going and what kind of challenges. It’s really about the process and not the result. One of the most unforgiving and upsetting and traumatic experiences is releasing a movie. Moreso than filming it, then? Yeah! I find it traumatic! I just want to make the things and it’d be great if I didn’t have to — I mean, I’m proud of the movies I make and I’m proud of the movies I do, but there’s something about talking about the process that can feel like it reduces the actual experience of the thing. When you’re in the trenches doing the work, that’s exciting. I guess when the movie gets released I’m just reminded of the sad aspect of the fact that it’s all just a business as well. What I really love, and this is probably also on the publicity side or the press side, is that so many of the journalists or the press who talk about movies are actually fans of movies. The fact that there are so many websites that are dedicated to movies, it seems to me the right people are talking about the movies because they’re the people who are interested in seeing good movies and are waiting for movies to come out and want the best from movies. That’s why, hopefully, we’re all in the business. On a semi-related note, you and your brother Nash broke out of the Australian film scene together with projects like The Square, and you wrote, directed, and starred in a short film called Monkeys. So on the one hand audiences see you in these increasingly high profile Hollywood films, but do you intend on keeping a foot in the independent world? Blue-Tongue Films is a big important thing for us, and it’s also a part of the reason why I’m doing what I’m doing on this bigger scale. I’ve kept my interests all the way along via the things that we write and the stories that we generate, and that’s so important to me. It’s important to me that we make Australian films and Australian product. Blue-Tongue will continue to make stuff there and start to open up things here in America. But being a writer has taught me a lot about being an actor, and being an actor has taught me a lot about being a writer. Reading a lot of screenplays in America has taught me more about being a writer. So I feel like the whole creative process, one thing feeds another. And it keeps me in love with what I do, which makes me just an all-around happier person. It feeds that back into the work. So it allows me to not get too easily cynical and gives me an outlet that I feel really happy about. It gives us something to be proud of. And it teaches me more about the whole process of moviemaking, which as an actor you’re sometimes a little guarded and shielded from the reality of.

Hugh Grant Calls Themselves a 'Bad Actor' Who 'Squandered His Life'

Arrived at love people British people. Whilst he's winding up in Pm David Cameron in regards to the News around the world scandal, phone hackee Hugh Grant can be as charmingly self-deprecating obviously. Asked for with the Protector if he's wasted his existence simply by now turning political at 51, the actor joked, "You are right. I have disposed of my existence." He added that instead of marketing for press accountability, "If perhaps I decided a reason which in fact had natural public sympathy, something associated with animals possibly, or assisted dying." Grant, who memorably carried out a booty-shaking PM in 'Love Really,' stood a high-profile winding up in Cameron last evening to talk about the scandal. Following a sitdown, Grant mentioned that Cameron made "the very best noises however expected him to produce the very best noises." He revealed for the Occasions located in london he'd informed Uk Chancellor George Osborne ahead of time that it may be a "catastrophic mistake" to use questionable editor Andy Coulson combined with even triggered this kind of stir relating to this inside a supper party, he must be settled lower. The star critiqued Rupert Murdoch's hazy testimony in regards to the hacking scandal within this summer time as "phony." While he referred to, "Speaking just like a bad actor, it absolutely was simple to position a poor performance ... my sources tell me he was just like a sharp just like a tack after they saw him a couple of days before." The "bad actor" recently grew to become an associate from the cast of 'Cloud Atlas' with co-stars Tom Hanks and Halle Berry as well as the Wachowski Brothers and sisters and Tom Tykwer pointing. [with the Protector, Deadline] [Photo: Getty Images] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Derek Luke Joins the Remake of 'Sparkle'

More news on the remake front (yes, we are getting as tired of writing it as you are reading it): Derek Luke has been cast as the male lead in the remake of the 1976 film 'Sparkle.' The movie follows singer Sparkle Williams and her rise to fame. This time around, actress Jordin Sparks will be playing Sparkle with Luke portraying Stix, a singer-songwriter in love with Sparkle. Starring alongside Sparks and Luke will be Whitney Houston, Mike Epps and Cee Lo Green. If only we could get another Curtis Mayfield soundtrack out of this. [via Deadline] Image courtesy of Getty Images

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