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Paramount is getting adventurous with Jim Field Smith and George Kay.

The studio has bought a family-oriented adventure-comedy pitch from the director of the upcoming DreamWorks romcom "She's Out of My League" and the writer of the top script on this year's British Black List.

The logline is being kept under wraps, but those familiar with the project describe it as a fantasy-tinged four-quadrant comedy in the vein of "Night at the Museum." Field Smith is on board to direct from a script he will write with Kay. No producer is attached.

The Wme- and Underground-repped Field Smith and Kay are teaming up to direct and write, respectively, "Good Luck Anthony Belcher," a British indie whose script recently topped the Brit List, that country's version of the Black List.

Field Smith's "League," which he wrote with "Meatballs" scribe Sean Anders, is set to be released next year by DreamWorks. That...

The reports obviously keep on coming in about the continuing box office success of two popular movies, the super-low-budget Paranormal Activity and Michael Jackson’s This Is It. However, it’s come to a point to take note of the milestones achieved by each film: Paranormal Activity has crossed the $100 million mark domestically, and This Is It has made $200 million worldwide.

Paranormal Activity

We’ll start off with Oren Peli’s low-budget supernatural horror-thriller, which has been touted (including by our own Kofi Outlaw) as a genuinely creepy film (or totally hated on for being “lame”). It opened in U.S. theaters on October 16th (after many very limited screenings that got some serious word-of-mouth going) and the last time we reported on its money-making success, it had reached the $87 million mark.

However, in an official press release from Paramount comes the news that Paranormal Activity’s $100 million achievement makes...

Much like his original chosen star, Zac Efron, director Kenny Ortega is no longer putting on his dancing shoes for "Footloose."

Efron quit the production, then replaced by Chace Crawford, now, Ortega has left the film! Drama!

All this drama is heightened by the fact that Ortega directed the expected-to-be-huge Michael Jackson concert film, "This is It."

Paramount is in search of a new director, and the studio insists that production will still begin in March when Crawford's on hiatus from "Gossip Girl." "Dancing with the Stars" dancer and part-time country singer, Julianne Hough, is set to co-star.

So why did Ortega leave the production?

Well, Paramount said it's because of the budget, while Ortega issued a press statement saying "Coming off the extraordinary project, Michael Jackson's `This is It,' director Kenny Ortega has decided it is premature for him to commit to his next film and will...

Following in the footsteps of lead actor Zac Efron, who bowed out last spring, 'HSM' director reportedly had differences with studio Paramount.

By Jocelyn Vena

Kenny Ortega

Photo: Barry King/ WireImage

Zac Efron was the first to bow out of the "Footloose" remake, and now director Kenny Ortega is also reportedly bidding farewell to the project. According to Variety, the director, who is also the man behind "Michael Jackson's This Is It," due out this week, pulled out after differences with the studio, Paramount.

Sources tell Variety that the director, who worked with Efron on all three "High School Musical" movies, didn't like the tone and budget laid out for him by the studio. Paramount, however, tells the site that the "change was made strictly over budget." Ortega reportedly wanted to make an elaborate dance flick with a budget of around $30 million, but production chief Adam Goodman apparently wanted the...

Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega has spent a lot of time in Disney's court, from the beloved 1992 musical Newsies starring a young, though not entirely vocally fresh, Christian Bale, to the overly-popular High School Musical movies. No matter your musical tastes, there's no denying that Ortega knows his way around fast-paced song and dance numbers. It was almost a year ago that Ortega was first attached to the non-Disney Footloose remake (then starring Zac Efron who has since been replaced by Chace Crawford) but now Variety reports today that he has now left the project due to "creative and budgetary differences." Variety cites unnamed insiders who claim: "Ortega wanted to make a picture with elaborately staged musical numbers at a budget of $30 million or so. [Paramount] production chief Adam Goodman wanted an edgier drama with less emphasis on the musical numbers and a budget around $25 million or less." If you ...

There is trouble in Dance-ville.

High School Musical director Kenny Ortega has dropped his helming duties on Paramount’s Footloose remake after repeatedly butting heads with the studio over the film’s budget and tone.

Ortega has recently completed the Michael Jackson concert flick This Is It.

According to sources within Paramount, the director wanted to “stage complex musical numbers on a budget in excess of $30 million.”

Paramount production chief Adam Goodman insisted on keeping the drama’s budget less than $25 million.

The project is still on track to begin production in March of 2010 with Dancing With the Stars and country music sensation Julianna Hough and Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford still attached.

The new Footloose is a remake of the 1984 drama about a city kid, played by Kevin Bacon, who moves to a conservative town and rebels against its no-dance law.

Source: Variety

Related posts:‘Dancing With the Stars...

Kenny Ortega has quit as director of Paramount's Chace Crawford-led Footloose remake. The High School Musical helmer left the project after clashing with the studio about budget and tone, according to Variety. Ortega, who directed the soon-to-be-released Michael Jackson concert film This Is It, allegedly wanted to stage complex musical numbers on a budget in excess of $$30 million. Paramount production chief Adam Goodman objected, insisting that the remake be (more)...

In another blow for Paramount’s troubled musical remake, “High School Musical” and Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” director, Kenny Ortega, has left the Footloose production citing differences in “tone and budget”.

Footloose, the remake of the classic 1984 musical starring Kevin Bacon, has been touch and go since it was announced last year. Originally the project was to star Hollywood heartthrob Zac Efron, however the film lost it’s leading man when Efron dropped out in order to move away from his musical career path and pursue other avenues.

Ortega’s departure comes just days before his latest film, the Michael Jackson tribute This It Is gets it’s limited theatrical release. Film hits theatres on Wednesday. Paramount is now searching for a new director to take on the project which is set to begin shooting in March. The film now stars Chase Crawford and Julianne Hough. Variety have...

"Footloose" is currently director-less with the withdrawal of the appointed Kenny Ortega from the remake project. The news broke out to the surface only days to the theatrical release of Michael Jackson's "This Is It", in which this "High School Musical" director/choreographer is serving as helmer.

According to Variety, both Ortega and Paramount Picture have confirmed his exit and put "This Is It" as the reason why. The statement released by Ortega's camp read, "Coming off the extraordinary project, Michael Jackson's 'This is It,' director Kenny Ortega has decided it is premature for him to commit to his next film and will not be moving forward with 'Footloose' as previously reported."

In spite of those official words, there is suggestion that Ortega's exit was mostly caused by the differences on tone and budget the filmmaker has with the studio. Variety reported that insiders...

Viacom have shelled out (excuse me) $60 million for what Variety are calling one of the most successful franchises of the past quarter-century – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

As the trade mag has pointed out, given the sheer number of TV series, films, videogames and toy lines based on the famous foursome it’s no wonder that the global rights to the property demand such a high price tag, especially as there has been so much online love for a big screen reboot!

Viacom purchased the rights from the Mirage Group who have owned the property since 1984 and Paramount are now gearing up to go full-green-ahead for a big screen outing by 2012. Scott Mednick (Where the Wild Things Are) will produce the film along with Galen Walker, the producer behind 2007’s computer-animated “Tmnt” movie, the most recent installment in the franchise. In a statement about the purchase, Paramount President Adam Goodman said:...

Nickelodeon is shelling out some serious green (yeah, there’s two there. Deal with it) for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles. What is serious green, you might ask? How about $60 million for global rights to the property. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that is exactly what Viacom’s Nickelodeon forked over to develop not only a new feature film starring the heroes in a half shell but a CG-animated TV series.

This is Nickelodeon’s first endeavor into franchise purchasing, and it seems likely the company will be looking more and more at this type of brand marketing for shows and feature film projects.

Says Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shares a comedic sensibility with the Nickelodeon DNA, with added layers of action and fantasy that have kept this property an evergreen favorite with multiple generations of audiences.

Paramount, also under Viacom’s umbrella, would serve as distributor on the film.

"Star Trek" star Chris Pine appears to have lined up another new job this week, in addition to nailing down a starring role in D.J Caruso's "The Art of Making Money." Pine has already reshaped William Shatner's role as James T. Kirk in the "Star Trek" franchise. Now it looks like he'll be stepping into the shoes previously worn by Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck as Tom Clancy's hard-nosed CIA analyst Jack Ryan. Pine's name floated out as the potential leading man to revamp Clancy's novels, such as "Patriot Games" and "The Sum of All Fears" for new releases, and Paramount has now confirmed his status as their pick.

"Tom Clancy created an unforgettable character with Jack Ryan," Paramount Film Group president Adam Goodman said in a statement, according to Variety. "With Chris in this role, we've taken our first step in creating a re-boot that lives...

Having picked up where William Shatner left off as Star Trek's Capt. James T. Kirk, Chris Pine is now poised to take over from where Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have trod - as Jack Ryan, novelist Tom Clancy's adventurous CIA analyst. Pine, 29, is onboard to star in a new entry in the action series, Variety reports. While no movie title has been announced, "Tom Clancy created an unforgettable character with Jack Ryan," Paramount president Adam Goodman says in a statement. "With Chris in this role, we've taken our first step in creating a re-boot that...

"The Insider" has the latest... Chris Pine, who became a household name over the summer by playing Captain Kirk in the blockbuster 'Star Trek,' is now stepping into a role that has been made famous by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin and Ben Affleck. Pine, 29, will take on the role of Jack Ryan, according to Variety. "Tom Clancy created an unforgettable character with Jack Ryan," Paramount Film Group president Adam Goodman told the trade. "With Chris in this role, we've taken our first step in creating a re-boot that lives up to the successful lineage of the franchise." Baldwin was the first to play Ryan in 1990’s 'The Hunt for Red October,' while Ford played him in 1992’s 'Patriot Games' and 1994’s 'Clear and Present Danger,' and Affleck took over the role in 2002’s 'The Sum of All Fears.'

[Read full story on The Insider]...

I can't help but make the obvious joke here, so I'll just go ahead and say it: Boldly going where no man has gone before, Chris Pine is not only Unstoppable, but he also knows The Art of Making Money. How? By attaching himself to every iconic reboot he can. Variety reports that Pine has entered into talks with Paramount to become the next Jack Ryan. "Talks" seems a fancy way of putting it, as Paramount president Adam Goodman is already talking him up as Ryan: "Tom Clancy created an unforgettable character with Jack Ryan. With Chris in this role, we've taken our first step in creating a re-boot that lives up to the successful lineage of the franchise."

Paramount has been shaping a Jack Ryan reboot for some time. Last year, they were in negotiations with Sam Raimi to come on board to direct or develop a franchise, but...

Want a new way to be proactive in your voiceover career? Here are the best-known websites geared toward voice talent, along with some great tips from their founders and others. Check them out and get your career into top gear.Voices.comFounded in 2003 by Stephanie and David Ciccarelli, Voices.com "employs a comprehensive suite of Web-based services" to "facilitate transactions between business clients and voiceover professionals," according to the site. Attracting corporate work, telephone projects, audio books, video games, commercials, movie trailers, imaging, animation, and more, it serves a full range of performers, from the established to the aspiring.Stephanie Ciccarelli is the author of many e-books, including "The Definitive Guide to Voiceover Success," and the editor of a blog called Vox Daily. "For those getting started," she says, "there are many resources available through our site. Plus, Vox Daily provides news, articles, tutorials, interviews, and business ideas for voice talent.

It takes a lot to be a horror fan. We suffer indignities that other film fans wouldn’t dream of. Genre films are seldom screened for press, leading to frantic scrambling to get a seat at a midnight showing so that we can have that review up and ready for you, dear readers, on opening day. Regular critics scoff at our genre, and often can’t be bothered with it at all. So it rests upon those of us who are true lovers of the genre to keep you abreast of the happenings in horror-land.

Adding to my general frustration with the powers that be is the mishandling of three recent films in particular. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, Trick ‘r Treat, and Paranormal Activity have all gotten a rotten distribution deal in one way or another. I asked Scott Weinberg, Managing Editor of Cinematical and Editor of Horror...

Universal's premiere of the comedy "Couples Retreat," held Monday night at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, inevitably turned into a coronation of sorts. Earlier in the day, the studio, reacting to a prolonged boxoffice slump, ushered its chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde out the door -- even though they presided over record-grossing years in 2007 and 2008 -- and promoted executives Adam Fogelson and Donna Langley to chairman and co-chairman, respectively.

So, at the Polynesian-themed afterparty, the movie's filmmakers found themselves taking a back seat to the new studio heads.

Langley was barraged with air kisses, and Fogelson found himself at the head of a long receiving line of patiently waiting supplicants.

As he watched the evening play out, Jon Favreau, who stars opposite Vince Vaughn in "Couples," observed that talent -- in front of and behind the camera -- has long known their Hollywood careers are unpredictable. But amid the...

How's this for an unexpected switcheroo?

Action director Peter Berg, who had been talking with DreamWorks about taking on the studio's futuristic robot boxing movie "Real Steel," has moved on, opening up the gig to Shawn Levy.

Levy is known for directing and producing broad, hit comedies such as the two "Night at the Museum" movies, which have grossed nearly $1 billion in worldwide boxoffice. But the "Steel" story line takes place in a near future where human boxing has been outlawed, and heavy, humanoid robots slug it out in the ring instead. Into this world step a father and his estranged teenage son, who train an extraordinary fighter.

Levy's participation could mean a change in tone for the adventure project and/or a stretching of the creative muscles for the director, who has signed on with DreamWorks to take a swing at it.

"I'm thrilled to be working with Shawn on this project,...