Hezbollah Calls For More Protests This Week Against Innocence Of Muslims; The Master Sweeps Specialty Box Office: Biz Break

Also in Monday morning's round-up of news briefs, a Fox studio co-head prepares to leave, consolidating leadership at the movie giant. Author Salman Rushdie says a controversial book he published in '88 would "never be published today." And remembering film professional/journalist Sandy Mandelberger.

Hezbollah Leader Calls for More Protests Against Anti-Muslim Movie
Sheik Hassan Nasrallah called for protests to continue Monday as the fall out from the anti-Muslim video Innocence of Muslims appears to be continuing into another week. The news comes after the U.S. State Department called for the removal of non-essential personnel from its embassies and consulates in Tunisia and Sudan," Deadline reports.

Fox Filmed Entertainment Co-Chief Tom Rothman to Exit Studio
Co-Chairman Tom Rothman is exiting Fox at the end of the year. Jim Gianopulos will become the sole Chairman/CEO at the studio, which will be consolidated into the freshly dubbed Twentieth Century Fox Film, Deadline reports.

The Master Sets Specialty Box Office Record
It’s not every weekend that a specialty film can claim a record, but The Master opened with an incredible $145,949 per-theater average, the best limited release ever for a live-action film, topping another record-breaker from earlier this year, Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, which bowed with with an average of $130,749 at four locations, Deadline reports.

Salman Rushdie: 'Satanic Versus would not be published today'
The author said he thinks a climate of fear and reprisal exists today that would prevent him from getting his controversial 1988 novel The Satanic Versus from being published today. He said the banning of the book in many countries and the subsequent threats on his life including a fatwa by Iran's then supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini, had created a "long-term chilling effect," BBC reports.

RIP Arthur Sandy Mandelberger
Mandelberger was a film professional and journalist, most recently Editor in Chief of FilmFestivalToday. He died at 57 on August 29th and is survived by his mother Eta and his partner of 37 years, Richard and sisters Miriam and Fanny. He battled cancer for nine years and asked that any donations be made to the Film Society of Lincoln Center.



Comments

  • SD says:

    It's The Satanic Verses but I like the idea of a Satanic Versus film series.

    Satanic Versus Mecha-Octopus coming soon!