Producer Trio Begins Primal Pictures, Putting Warner Bros Into Low Quality Genre Game

EXCLUSIVE: Producers Roy Lee, John Middleton and Lawrence Gray have joined in Primal Pictures, a brand new genre arm of Vertigo Entertainment. The organization will share the very first look deal that Vertigo has with Warner Bros, along with a large a part of Primal’s mission would be to place the studio in to the ultra-low-budget genre game. Primal will even create a slate of micro-budget films with independent equity financing. Warner Bros just given a eco-friendly light to Hidden, a $ten million thriller which will begin production this summer time. That film was acquired late this past year, in line with the 2011 Black List script by Matt and Ross Duffer, twin siblings who’ll direct the horror thriller in regards to a family hiding inside a explosive device shelter after getting away unknown outbreak. Lee, Middleton and Gray are creating with Mason Novick. Warner Bros just acquired for Primal Pictures Solution, a script by Love Michael Thorne in regards to a dying lady whose husband arranges for experimental treatment, simply to uncover solution has terrible effects. Michael Connolly and Mad Hatter Entertainment will even produce. This deal puts Warner Bros in line to sign up with what has turned into a steady stream of narrative and located footage thrillers with low budgets and youthful audience appeal. These films routinely cleanup in the box office, frequently generating back their budgets throughout opening weekend and outperforming mid-budget films with stars. Warner Bros got in to the act using the Silver Pictures/Eco-friendly Hat Pictures release Project X, which made nearly two times its budget last week. Universal Pictures introduced it reclaimed Ouija from turnaround after its producers changed it from the $100 million film to some thriller having a $5 million budget. Vital, that has obtained achievements using the Paranormal Activity series and also the Insurge release The Demon Inside, has a number of small budget pictures being produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot. Fox were built with a similar success with Chronicle. Lee, Middleton and Gray have put together several pictures that'll be made underneath the Primal Pictures banner. They include: The Vatican, a $5 million thriller for Warner Bros being composed by Dork Cohen, using the Demon Inside helmer William Brent Bell mounted on direct and Matthew Peterman and Morris Paulson also creating Viral, a Screen Gems thriller in regards to a vengeful spirit that terrorizes a higher school student after someone uses her Facebook account to depart cruel messages on the dead classmate’s page, with Tim and Matt Shechmeister pointing an growth of their UCLA video clip with Stephen Susco also creating Rise, a Warner Bros action/sci-fi film that can take a brand new consider the war between robots as well as their human designers, which David Karlak (rapid film The Candidate) will direct with Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston writing the script and Subterranean also creating and Tape 4, a spec by Jeremy Slater that’s a horror film that includes Lovecraftian mythology right into a modern setting. Laurent Briet, a music video and visual effects maven, will direct, with financing originating from Sebastian Aloi, who’ll also produce through La Lune Entertainment. Company 3 will even produce. Lee’s creating credits range from the remakes The Departed, The Ring, The Other people and also the Grudge, and also at Warner Bros, he’s creating LEGO and Stephen King’s The Stand, and also the CBS Films’ thriller 7500 as well as an Old Boy remake at Mandate. Gray’s credits include Juno, Drag Me To Hell and also the Hillsides Have Eyes, and also the lately wrapped David Frankel-directed Great Hope Springs with Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Johnson and Steve Carell.

Brad Pitt Joins George Clooney in Prop 8 Play

Brad Pitt is set to make history -- on stage.The "Moneyball" star will take on the role of United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker in Saturday's Los Angeles staging of Dustin Lance Black's play 8. Walker overturned California's gay marriage ban, ruling that Proposition 8 was unconstitutional after a highly publicized trial in July and August 2010.The performance, which will take place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and serve as a fundraiser for gay marriage efforts across the country, boasts a star-studded cast. George Clooney and Martin Sheen will play the plaintiffs' lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, an unlikely pairing of a liberal and conservative lawyer working on behalf of marriage equality.Christine Lahti and Jamie Lee Curtis will take on the roles of Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, and Matthew Morrison and Matt Bomer will play Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, two gay couples that put forth the law suit.Jane Lynch will play anti-gay marriage activist Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, while Kevin Bacon will portray the lawyer defending Proposition 8, Charles J. Cooper. John C. Reilly, who was once slated to play Walker, will play marriage equality advocate David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values. Rob Reiner will direct.Pitt has long been an advocate of marriage equality, and has until recently held firm to his statement that he and partner Angelina Jolie will not marry until everyone can do so.As he told "The Hollywood Reporter," he and Jolie may end up tying the knot before that national dream is realized, but he is still open about his commitment to the cause of equality."To be in love with someone and be raising a family with someone and want to make that commitment and not be able to is ludicrous, just ludicrous," he said. The Hollywood Reporter

Alan Ball To Step Down As True Blood Showrunner

If HBO’s hit vampire drama True Blood goes to a sixth season, it will be without its mastermind Alan Ball at the helm. HBO and Ball just confirmed ongoing speculation that Ball would leave the series full-time after the upcoming fifth season. He is under an overall deal with HBO and, in addition to True Blood, also executive produces new series Banshee for sibling Cinemax. Here are statements from HBO and Ball: HBO: “When we extended our multi-year overall deal with Alan Ball in July 2011, we always intended that if we proceeded to True Bloods sixth season that Alan would take a supervisory role on the series and not be the day-to-day showrunner. If we proceed to season six, the show will remain in the very capable hands of the talented team of writers and producers who have been with the show for a number of years. This is the best possible world for both HBO and Alan Ball. Alan will remain available as executive producer to consult and advise on True Blood and he will be free to develop new shows for both HBO and Cinemax. Banshee, on which Alan serves as executive producer, is the first in house series for Cinemax and is expected to begin production this spring.” Alan Ball: “True Blood has been, and will continue to be, a highlight of not only my career but my life. Because of the fantastic cast, writers, producers and crew, with whom I have been lucky enough to work these past five years, I know I could step back and the show will continue to thrive as I look forward to new and exciting ventures.”

West End slate grows

The West End's dance card for later this year is filling up with the announcement of three incoming productions, including a transfer of a Shakespeare double bill toplined by Mark Rylance. Also on tap is a London move for the Royal Shakespeare Company staging of a new play by David Edgar ("Nicholas Nickleby"), as well as a revival of Joe Orton's 1967 farce "What the Butler Saw." As previously tipped in Variety, frequent trans-Atlantic producer Sonia Friedman will move twinned Shakespeare's Globe stagings of "Richard III" and "Twelfth Night," both starring Rylance, to the West End in the fall. Initially opening at Shakespeare's Globe (July 14-Oct. 14), the period-style productions featuring all-male casts will play a 13-week season at the West End's Apollo Theater beginning Nov. 2. Stephen Fry has been added to the cast, playing Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" opposite Rylance as Olivia. The productions, helmed by Tim Carroll, continue the working relationship between Friedman and Rylance that has includes "Boeing-Boeing," "La Bete" and "Jerusalem." All three were London hits that went on to Gotham stints, with Rylance picking up a Tony each for his perfs in "Boeing-Boeing" and "Jerusalem." Also joining the West End's upcoming slate is the RSC production of Edgar's "Written on the Heart," transferring from the RSC's Stratford-upon-Avon home to the West End's Duchess Theater for a limited run beginning April 19. Producers Bill Kenwright ("Blood Brothers") and Thelma Holt will move the show, which played the RSC in the fall. Set 400 years ago, Edgar's play examines the religious and political divisions that arose over the controversial first English translation of the King James Bible. Helmed by Gregory Doran, the play will be the second RSC show on the boards in the West End, joining the hit transfer of tuner "Matilda," currently eyeing a Broadway berth. Also set for this year is a new production of "What the Butler Saw" at the West End's Vaudeville Theater, starting a limited run May 16. Produced by MJE Prods., co-producers of the West End and Gotham-bound tuner "Ghost," the show is headlined by British-Iranian thesp-standup Omid Djalili ("Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "The Love Guru"). The production is helmed by Sean Foley, who also directed the hit legit version of "The Ladykillers" currently running at the West End's Gielgud Theater. Further casting for "Butler," running May 4-Aug. 25, has yet to be announced. Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

Will Sacha Baron Cohen Be Banned from the Oscars?

Downton Abbey, Maggie Smith and Hugh Boneville The Season 2 finale of Downton Abbey on PBS drew a whopping 5.4 million viewers in its first airing to post the network's biggest audience in nearly three years. The two-hour closer was PBS' most-watched program since the 2009 premiere of Ken Burns' National Parks and was also more than double the average prime-time PBS viewership. Shirley MacLaine joins Downton Abbey"PBS and our member stations are so pleased that such a large audience is enjoying this great work from Masterpiece," PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger said in a statement. "From viewing parties to Twitter mentions, Downton Abbey is riding a wave of public enthusiasm, and it's been wonderful to see so many people discovering public television as a destination for programming that's smart, distinctive and entertaining."Overall, Season 2 was up by 25 percent over the first season.Season 3, which will feature new cast member Shirley MacLaine, is currently in production in England and is scheduled to hit stateside early next year.

Oscars 2012: Why 'Shame' Deserved A Best Picture Jerk

Nine films are nominated to find the best Picture within the Academy awards this year, pleading the question: who deserved a tenth perfect that list? Oscars 2012: 10 Place solutions that question, since the MTV Movies team highlights numerous 2011's finest films and argues why they deserved a jerk since the tenth Best Picture nominee. Enables appreciate this taken proper care of at this time around: Yes, Shame is certainly The Primary One While Using Penis Michael Fassbenders, more particularly. Nonetheless, it may be unfortunate (no pun intended) if thats all this amazing film is appreciated for. For a lot of knowledge of why Shame wasnt nominated for just about any Best Picture Oscar, we have to discuss what this movie is not: It's not a family group film (see above re: The Primary One While Using Penis). This movie is one hundred percent adult-oriented. You'll find no brave horses, charming young puppies or precocious kids in Shame. You'll find only grown-ups doing very grown-up things. It's not populated by likeable figures. The siblings and siblings carried out by Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are two seriously damaged, dysfunctional people who sometimes behave horribly to each other. No heroes or heroines, no hearts of gold just folks discomfort who're trying to handle your entire day. It's not some time piece. Shame happens inside the here (NY City) now. The city is not romanticized or disinfected its described just like a real place where real people live nowadays, dealing with real issues. It's not an easy film to check out. Sure, theres plenty of flesh displayed, nevertheless the sex moments aren't what youd call sexy. Fassbenders Brandon can be a sex addict. There's no love or affection given or attracted during these moments. And theres several pretty nasty, heartbreaking stuff because of Mulligans Sissy. Fascinating and fascinating, yes. Sweet and advantageous? Definitely not. The bottom line is, "Shame" is not Oscar bait. Steve McQueens drama is unconventional, raw, harmful and current. Inside a perfect movie world these qualities might be recognized and paid out. Alas, Oscar doesn't live because world quite yet. Maybe eventually theyll comprehend it correctly. The MTV Movies team gets the 2012 Oscars covered! Stay with us for all that you should know just before the honours show, and also on Sunday, February 25, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for that three-hour red-colored-colored-carpet live stream and updates round the night's large individuals who win.

Pilgrim ramps up exec ranks

GouldPiligianCraig Piligian's reality shingle Pilgrim Studios is ramping up its exec ranks with a slew of hires and promotions. The ultra-busy Pilgrim, which produces such as series as "Dirty Jobs" and "American Chopper" on Discovery, as well "Top Shot" and the upcoming "Full Metal Jousting" for History, has hired three VP's to bolster its original programming and development teams. Nicholas Caprio joins Pilgrim as VP of original programming. He arrives from Gay Rosenthal Prods., where he served as exec VP of the shingle and helped oversee such skeins as "Behind the Music" for VH1 and TLC's "Little People, Big World." Arriving from the U.K.-based shingle Optomen, Rob Hill will be the new VP of development for unscripted. On the scripted side, Beth Miller will join as a VP. Previously, she worked at Disney Channel and ABC Family. Coming aboard is Jon Unger as manager of development. He previously worked at ABC in current programming, and alternative and specials department. Being promoted at Pilgrim is seven-year vet Johnny Gould, who will now be senior VP of original programming and development. He'll continue to oversee both upcoming and current unscripted series. Also being upped as managers in development are Jamie Fleischman and Jake Shelton. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com