Hollywood Ink: Industry Has its First $10 Billion Year
· Amid anguished cries of poverty from studios, distributors and production companies around Hollywood, the film industry yesterday broke the $10 billion-annual-gross barrier for the first time ever. But $10,008,000,000 with 11 days to go, a few questions remain, like: How much of that is inflated by 3-D and IMAX surcharge boosts? (Answer: Probably between 3 and 4 percent.) And how much of that will your miserly boss float you for a belated holiday bonus? (Answer: You're kidding, right?) Expect above-the-line salary warfare to ensue in 2010. Should be fun! [The Wrap]
James Cameron wins the only award that really matters, 2010's best film title is officially taken, and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.
· For once, a cluster of flacks has happily confirmed news about James Cameron: The filmmaker will receive this year's Motion Picture Showmanship Award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Hollywood union publicists. Congrats to him. [Variety]
· Killer Films, which has helped bring you Boys Don't Cry, Far From Heaven, I'm Not There, and many other extraordinary films of the last decade-plus, is getting 2010 off on the right foot by co-producing the documentary Fake Orgasm. That's right: A documentary, one featuring an international collection of women explaining their sexual hangups that usually result in the titular event. Mo'Nique? Are you in? [Variety]
· Ex-PayPal executive Jack Selby is among a group of three entrepreneurs launching Horsethief Pictures, a digital production/distribution shingle that already has the Western The Last Rites of Ransom Pride in the works. Peter Dinklage, Scott Speedman, Lizzy Kaplan and others star. [Variety]
· During one of the recent GOP filibusters against a vote on the national health-care bill, an apparently bored Sen. John Kerry dashed off a letter asking Time Warner Cable and News Corp. to settle this carriage-fee dispute once and for all. That should do the trick. [LAT]
Comments
Well, if Kerry's letter is written as he speaks, Time Warner and News Corp. will settle just to get the pain to stop.
For some reason, the idea of "union publicists" has me in stitches. "If you want five tweets per hour on top of Facebook status updates, we want 40-minute lunches. Do you want social media? WELL, DO YOU?"
The $Ten Bill annum is not reflective of the actual tickets purchased, and might also fold in concession sales. Last time I ordered a large bucket of popcorn I had to clear a credit check.