Al Pacino As A Decadent Rocker; Avengers Tops Halloween Costumes: Biz Break

Also in Wednesday morning's new round-up: In the run-up to the election, a major cable company is offering its customers a free viewing of an anti-Obama doc; Details on Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and a book deal for a Spider-Man creator.

Avengers Halloween Costumes Top Moviegoers Survey
Among 2012 releases, Avengers characters took the top four spots with males, with Chris Hemsworth's Thor edging out the other characters from summer's box office hit for the No. 1 spot. Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man came in second, followed by Chris Evans' Captain America and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, THR reports.

Al Pacino Takes On Rocker Role
Pacino will appear in Dan Fogelman's Imagine, alongside Jeremy Renner – as the 40-year-old son with whom he tries to reconnect – and Julianne Moore, as the owner of the hotel he moves into on his quest for spiritual absolution. He is an aging rocker who turns over a new leaf after discovering an undelivered letter written by John Lennon to his 19-year-old self, The Guardian and Deadline report.

Hobbit Running Time Revealed
“It’s looking like it’s going to be about ten minutes shorter than Fellowship was," explains Jackson. "So it’s going to be officially our shortest Middle-earth yet. I mean, Fellowship was just under three hours and this is about 2 hours 40 minutes at the moment.” Empire reports.

Battleground Cabler Offering Anti-Obama Doc for Free
"Armstrong Utilities is the nation’s 15th-largest cable provider and operates in 6 states including Ohio and Pennsylvania, two crucial battleground states in the 2012 election. In Ohio alone Armstrong is available in over 50 cities and towns in 10 Ohio counties. So it’s all the more controversial that the cabler is offering the anti-Obama documentary 2016: Obama’s America’s as a "Free Movie Special" to all its subscribers on demand at no charge, Deadline reports.

Spider-Man Musical Writer Gets Book Deal
"The big-budget production - featuring music by U2's Bono and The Edge - was plagued by problems including delays and a series of stunt accidents. Publishers say Berger's book will give the 'ultimate fly-on-the-wall account.' Song of Spider-Man: The Inside Story of the Most Controversial Musical in Broadway History is due out next year, BBC reports.