Underground Films & Management duo split

Underground Films & Management partners Nick Osborne and Trevor Engelson have decided to part ways after a decade of working together.The duo made the announcement Monday, indicating that the split was amicable. Engelson will continue to run Underground as a management / production company and Osborne will be forming a new as yet unnamed production company while at the same time focusing on writing."Over the last three years I have been working on a novel 'Refuge' and now that's it's almost finished I realized that I wanted to focus on writing even more while continuing with my other great passion producing," Osborne said. "In such a scenario being a partner of a management / production company did not make sense.""I started off as Nick's assistant 10 years ago and we've been able to build this really special company together over the years," Engelson said. "I may be losing a great business partner by Nick transitioning into being a writer, but he's my client now, so I'll be working for him all over again!"Osborne and Engelson will continue to work on studio projects they have developed and set up together over the years under the Underground banner on the production side of the company. The duo produced "Remember Me" at Summit and "License to Wed" at Warner Bros.Josh McGuire and Evan Silverberg are remaining as part of the Underground team of managers. Underground clients include Jon Lajoie, Jim Field Smith, Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan, Chip Hall, Andrew Goldberg, Matthew Moy, Hageman Brothers, Jason Micallef, Joel David Moore, Dito Montiel, Holland Roden, Doug Goldstein, Sharni Vinson, Austin Winsberg, Seamus Kevin Fahey, Scott Zabielski, Daniel Stamm and Irvine Welsh. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Stage Fright

Jonathan Cooper is wanted by the police who suspect him of killing his lover's husband. His friend Eve Gill offers to hide him and Jonathan explains to her that his lover, actress Charlotte Inwood is the real murderer. Eve decides to investigate for herself, but when she meets the detective in charge of the case, she starts to fall in love.

Weighty, heartstopping material dominates category

Richard Bedser & Ed Fields"Gettysburg"HistoryHighlight: "Unknown" Union soldier Amos Humiston becomes one of the most famous figures in the Civil War when his unidentifiable body is found with a photo of his family. His family finally learns his fate when the photo runs in a newspaper.Why they might win: Bedser and Fields make "Gettysburg" the story of individual soldiers by tracing their actual moves that lead them to the battle.Maybe not: Recent history is beautifully documented in "No Reservations." Anthony Bourdain"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations"TravelHighlight: The usually unfazed Bourdain is unapologetically emotional about the tragedy that has befallen Haiti, and his conversations with Sean Penn revealed an uncertain future for the country.Why he might win: Bourdain's portrait of Haiti in crisis and the people who live there is both unflinching and deeply compassionate at the same time.Maybe not: No shortage of other nominees telling high-stakes stories.Josh Fox"Gasland"HBOHighlight: Fox captured a legendary moment, that still has people talking, when one homeowner opens a kitchen faucet and then lights the water on fire because it is so contaminated with gas.Why he might win: The stories of those who agree to have hydraulic fracturing are explored in an achingly personal manner, one that shows the real long-term impact on their lives.Maybe not: When Fox veers away from their stories and inserts himself too much into the narrative, the impact wanes.Stanley Nelson"Freedom Riders"PBSHighlight: Testimony from the Freedom Riders who journeyed across America to violate and change Jim Crow laws paints a harrowing portrait of a campaign that took place only 50 years ago.Why he might win: Nelson's film is both skilled journalism and a dramatic compelling narrative that tells a significant story with all the tension of a top-notch thriller.Maybe not: Nelson is going head to head with "Gettysburg," another historic heavyweight.Jon Wilkman"Moguls & Movie Stars -- The Birth of Hollywood"TCMHighlight: D.W. Griffith makes the controversial "The Birth of a Nation" and evokes charges of racism while expanding cinematic story-telling techniques in one troubling project.Why he might win: Wilkman masterfully grounds the beginnings of Hollywood in the personalities of those who created it.Maybe not: In a field full of historical and activist-oriented subject matter, this could seem like a lightweight.ROAD TO THE EMMYS: THE WRITER Showrunners don't run from non-writing dutiesDrama | Comedy | Movies & Miniseries | Nonfiction | Variety, music or comedy series Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Saturday Night Live Vet Paula Pell to Play Ron Swansons Mom on Parks and Recreation

Nick Offerman and Paula Pell The third Tammy in Ron Swanson's life has taken form: Saturday Night Live veteran Paula Pell has been cast as Parks and Recreation's Mama Swanson -- or Tammy, Ground Zero if you like. Mama Swanson will be introduced early on in Season 4 along with Ron's never-before-seen, super scary first wife Tammy 1, who will be played by Patricia Clarkson. Parks and Recreation scoop: Get ready for Mama Swanson and the return of Jean-Ralphio! Series executive producer Mike Schur told TVGuide.com that Ron's mom is "no shrinking violet," and a character breakdown for the role describes her as "a no-nonsense, patriotic, salt-of-the-earth farm woman." Insiders say Ron (Nick Offerman) may be in for a Tammy tornado when all three Tammys gather in the same episode. Megan Mullally will reprise her role as the super-frisky Tammy 2. Parks and Recreation Season 4 scoop: Ron's facial hair, Leslie's big decision and more! Pell has been a writer on SNL since 1995, serving as head writer for two seasons alongside Seth Meyers and Andrew Steele, and often appearing as an audience member during sketches. She's also written episodes of 30 Rock and guest-starred as Pete's wife Paula Hornberger. She recently sold a feature pitch with Tina Fey to Universal for a comedy based on Pell's childhood diaries. The fourth season of Parks and Recreation premieres Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Wahlberg Wants To Heft 2 Guns

Taking over for Vince VaughnThings are all swings and roundabouts where Mark Wahlberg and director David O Russell are concerned, it would seem. Because now the actor is in talks to star in Universal's graphic novel adaptation 2 Guns, which Russell has been interested in for some time. But don't go thinking that it'll end up as another reunion for the Fighter team - as Variety reports, the movie is now looking for a director, as Russell has committed to shooting The Silver Linings Playbook and other movies instead. And who left Silver Linings recently due to scheduling issues with Broken City? Why, Wahlberg of course! Adapted from Steven Grant's Boom! Studios title by Blake Masters, 2 Guns will see a DEA Agent and an undercover naval intelligence officer unwittingly on each others' trail when they both steal mob money. There's no word on which role Wahlberg is after. Back when the project was picked up in 2008, Universal was considering it as a vehicle for Vince Vaughn. But there's no sign of him still attached at this point - unless he's taking on the other main part, of course...

Kenny Ortega To Direct Dirty Dancing Reboot

By Jolie LashLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Dirty Dancing is getting the reboot treatment, Lionsgate announced on Monday. Kenny Ortega, the films original choreographer, and director of Michael Jacksons This Is It, will direct the new film. The opportunity to direct Dirty Dancing is like returning home for me, Ortega said in a statement. Growing up in the 60s, on the dance floor helped define me as a person and as an artist. I am looking forward to assembling a great creative team and an exciting cast to bring Dirty Dancing to the screen for a new generation. Patrick Swayze set the bar for men dancing in the movies as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire did before him. I believe everywhere you look there is evidence that the talent is out there and I cant wait to begin the process of discovering the next breakout triple-threats. AH Nation Poll: Is the Dirty Dancing reboot a good idea? Click HERE to vote! Ortega is set to produce the film with Debra Martin Chase, whose credits include The Princess Diaries and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Amazingly it has been almost 25 years since the original film was released, but the fans remain legion, and engaged more than ever with a brand that is special and vital to them. We believe that the timing couldnt be better to modernize this story on the big screen, and we are proud to have Kenny Ortega at the helm, Joe Drake, co-Chief Operating Officer of Lionsgate and President of the Motion Picture Group said in a statement. Lionsgate is in talks with the original writer and co-producer of the 1987 film, Eleanor Bergstein, to become involved with the reboot in some capacity, the studio said in a release. The late Patrick Swayze and recent Dancing with the Stars champ Jennifer Grey starred in the original, much-beloved film. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Mark Neveldine talks Nic Cage in Ghost Rider 2

Director Mark Neveldine saysGhost Rider 2starNicolas Cage shares the same level of insanity as himself and co-director Brian Taylor.That's saying something, especially when the directing duo did everything from roller skating behind a motorcycle to swinging on bungee cords to shoot scenes in Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance."Nic [Cage] is as insane as we are, which is nice because it's a nice blend of insane powers. A meeting of the insanity, I guess you could call it," Neveldine tells Marvel.com.Neveldine, who shot both Crank films with his directing partner Taylor, was also impressed by Cage's dedication to the character."He's so passionate about it and so cerebral about it. Talk about controlled chaos, that's Nicolas. He thinks about everything that he does, and he's got a reason for it. An intellectual reason and a poetic reason for every choice that he makes," Neveldine says."Once he has all that foundation, that's when you let him loose. Then it's just a ramping the knob up. "Oh, let's do this take on 11, Nic. Let's do this one on 15. Maybe you can modulate this down and do this on nine and half." Once he has that, once he knows what he's doing and why, then he really puts the fight in the demon."Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance opens in UK cinemas on 22 February 2012.

5 Great Films With Street Names in Their Titles

5 Great Films With Street Names in Their Titles By Christy Lemire August 5, 2011 Photo by Universal Pictures "Mulholland Drive" LOS ANGELES (AP) The ultra-low-budget "Bellflower," which opens in limited release this weekend, is named for the Southern California street where director-writer-star Evan Glodell was living when he went through the dramatic relationship that inspired the film. It's also the name of the generic street where much of the film's action takes place the romance and, eventually, the break-up and brutal climax.Providing a sense of place is a crucial part of luring us into a film, and that can start right from the very beginning. So here's a journey through five great movies with street names in their titles. Try not to get lost: "Sunset Boulevard" (1950): Billy Wilder's sharp, biting satire remains one of the most insightful films ever made about Hollywood. All these decades later, the names have changed and the technology has improved but the egos and illusions remain. LA's Sunset Boulevard is where aging silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) lives in her garish mansion, dreaming of a comeback, and it's where writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) narrates from the great beyond while lying face-down in her swimming pool at the start. Holden is the film's steady, quick-witted anchor, while Swanson teeters brilliantly on the brink of madness until the very end. She IS big. It's the pictures that got small. "Mulholland Dr." (2001): David Lynch's dreamlike Hollywood noir gave us a major star in Naomi Watts. She's mesmerizing here in multiple roles as both a bright-eyed aspiring actress and a starlet who's seen better days. She and Laura Elena Harring form a giddy, girly friendship that morphs into something darker and more intense. The name comes from the long, winding road that snakes along the top of the mountains that separate Los Angeles from the San Fernando Valley; it's where the car crash takes place that sends Harring's character into amnesia and into Watts' life. I will admit I did not get "Mulholland Dr." when I first saw it, but after multiple viewings, I now find myself drawn to its complicated structure and haunting mood. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984): Despite various sequels, remakes and reboots, we're going with Wes Craven's original here, for sake of argument and because it's the best. Craven's core concept that if you die in your dreams, you die in real life was truly disturbing back then, and it provided an exploration of the frightening power of the subconscious. With his jaunty fedora and torn sweater, his hideous, scorched skin and an arsenal of one-liners, child-killer Freddy Krueger (the venerable Robert Englund) could be anywhere at any time. There was no way to stop him. At some point, you have to fall asleep. And the idea that such brutal killings could take place on Elm Street, which sounds like such a safe and familiar place in Anytown, U.S.A., made the horrors hit even closer to home. "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947): He's not crazy, he's just Santa. Edmund Gwenn earned an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in this holiday favorite. Gwenn plays a kindly old man who takes over as Santa Claus at the flagship Macy's department store on 34th Street in New York City (hence the title). But he infuses the place with such jolly, ruddy-faced goodness, people begin to wonder whether he's the real deal. When he's deemed delusional and committed to Bellevue, he pleads his case at a legal hearing, becomes a sensation and makes everyone believe in the power of Christmas, including a young Natalie Wood. How are you gonna hate on that? "Cloverfield" (2008): The title of this low-budget sci-fi thriller helped build its buzz. What is Cloverfield? What could it possibly mean? And what does it have to do with a monster that terrorizes New York? Well, nothing. And that's part of its charm. Cloverfield is the name of a street near producer J.J. Abrams' Santa Monica office. It's a code word the filmmakers used to keep the project under wraps but it stuck, adding to the mystery. Director Matt Reeves' film is a thrill ride tailor-made for the YouTube generation, with the attack being documented entirely through the perspective of a partygoer's hand-held video camera. You know that would be your first instinct, too - and that not only gives the film a feeling of authenticity, but makes it more interactive.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 5 Great Films With Street Names in Their Titles By Christy Lemire August 5, 2011 "Mulholland Drive" PHOTO CREDIT Universal Pictures LOS ANGELES (AP) The ultra-low-budget "Bellflower," which opens in limited release this weekend, is named for the Southern California street where director-writer-star Evan Glodell was living when he went through the dramatic relationship that inspired the film. It's also the name of the generic street where much of the film's action takes place the romance and, eventually, the break-up and brutal climax.Providing a sense of place is a crucial part of luring us into a film, and that can start right from the very beginning. So here's a journey through five great movies with street names in their titles. Try not to get lost: "Sunset Boulevard" (1950): Billy Wilder's sharp, biting satire remains one of the most insightful films ever made about Hollywood. All these decades later, the names have changed and the technology has improved but the egos and illusions remain. LA's Sunset Boulevard is where aging silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) lives in her garish mansion, dreaming of a comeback, and it's where writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) narrates from the great beyond while lying face-down in her swimming pool at the start. Holden is the film's steady, quick-witted anchor, while Swanson teeters brilliantly on the brink of madness until the very end. She IS big. It's the pictures that got small. "Mulholland Dr." (2001): David Lynch's dreamlike Hollywood noir gave us a major star in Naomi Watts. She's mesmerizing here in multiple roles as both a bright-eyed aspiring actress and a starlet who's seen better days. She and Laura Elena Harring form a giddy, girly friendship that morphs into something darker and more intense. The name comes from the long, winding road that snakes along the top of the mountains that separate Los Angeles from the San Fernando Valley; it's where the car crash takes place that sends Harring's character into amnesia and into Watts' life. I will admit I did not get "Mulholland Dr." when I first saw it, but after multiple viewings, I now find myself drawn to its complicated structure and haunting mood. "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984): Despite various sequels, remakes and reboots, we're going with Wes Craven's original here, for sake of argument and because it's the best. Craven's core concept that if you die in your dreams, you die in real life was truly disturbing back then, and it provided an exploration of the frightening power of the subconscious. With his jaunty fedora and torn sweater, his hideous, scorched skin and an arsenal of one-liners, child-killer Freddy Krueger (the venerable Robert Englund) could be anywhere at any time. There was no way to stop him. At some point, you have to fall asleep. And the idea that such brutal killings could take place on Elm Street, which sounds like such a safe and familiar place in Anytown, U.S.A., made the horrors hit even closer to home. "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947): He's not crazy, he's just Santa. Edmund Gwenn earned an Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in this holiday favorite. Gwenn plays a kindly old man who takes over as Santa Claus at the flagship Macy's department store on 34th Street in New York City (hence the title). But he infuses the place with such jolly, ruddy-faced goodness, people begin to wonder whether he's the real deal. When he's deemed delusional and committed to Bellevue, he pleads his case at a legal hearing, becomes a sensation and makes everyone believe in the power of Christmas, including a young Natalie Wood. How are you gonna hate on that? "Cloverfield" (2008): The title of this low-budget sci-fi thriller helped build its buzz. What is Cloverfield? What could it possibly mean? And what does it have to do with a monster that terrorizes New York? Well, nothing. And that's part of its charm. Cloverfield is the name of a street near producer J.J. Abrams' Santa Monica office. It's a code word the filmmakers used to keep the project under wraps but it stuck, adding to the mystery. Director Matt Reeves' film is a thrill ride tailor-made for the YouTube generation, with the attack being documented entirely through the perspective of a partygoer's hand-held video camera. You know that would be your first instinct, too - and that not only gives the film a feeling of authenticity, but makes it more interactive.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DirecTV Second-Quarter U.S. Sub Gains Weaken

NEW You are able to - Satellite Television giant DirecTV reported enhanced second-quarter revenue and profit on Thursday, nevertheless its U.S. customer growth destabilized within the typically reduced period as the organization reported economic weakness and heated competition. DirecTV's stock dropped at the begining of buying and selling. By 10am ET, it had been lower 6.3 % at $46.35. DirecTV's quarterly profit rose 20 % to $701 million, and revenue increased 13 percent to $6.6 billion. DirecTV once more added customers within the U.S. and Latin America, nevertheless its 26,000 U.S. customer additions - to finish June at 19.43 million U.S. customers - in comparison with 100,000 around-ago period. Wunderlich Investments analyst Matthew Harrigan had predicted 68,000 internet additions, and also the Wall Street consensus estimate was at 57,000. In the fast-growing Latin American unit, DirecTV added 472,000 internet new clients. The National football league labor dispute extended through the quarter, and DirecTV has got the exclusive privileges for that National football league Sunday Ticket program package, that could have affected U.S. user trends. Chairman and Boss Mike Whitened reported "a frightening economic and competitive landscape" that "is constantly on the impact DirecTV U.S." Within the U.S., average revenue per user elevated 3 % to $90.58 driven by cost increases on programming packages and leased set-top boxes, in addition to greater advanced service costs. Individuals were partly offset by more marketing offers, based on the organization. "Internet additions rejected to 26,000 as the rise in gross additions was a lot more than offset with a greater average monthly churn rate of just one.59 percent primarily caused by a far more competitive atmosphere combined with ongoing economic weakness," DirecTV stated. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects