Aaliyah Appreciated through the Music Business

10 years after Aaliyah's untimely dying, the singer's relation to the background music community still remains strong. Music artists required to Twitter to state their love and popularity of the singer.our editor recommendsAaliyah Died ten years Ago Today: What Fans SayAaliyah's Dying to become Commemorated on Wager Special Wager will air a unique -- Aaliyah: One Out Of Millions Of-- on Thursday, with behind the curtain footage using the singer and interviews with buddies and family. Aaliyah and eight others died when their plane crashed on the way to Florida in the Bahamas, where she'd been tape the background music video to "Rock the Boat" off her third album. PHOTOS: Grammys: Top Ten Must-See Moments The admiration put out over Twitter from a number of music's most effective artists: Missy Elliott, who'll also come in the Wager special and sang with Aaliyah authored, "Aaliyah til this time u r still in your Lane! Ure music is Timeless! We miss u!" Stylish-hop artist Drake authored, "RIP Little Girl...during my ear at each show letting me be aware of next move I ought to make. Adore you.Inch Busta Rhymes authored, "God bless u Aaliyah. We like u, we miss u. God knows u r still greatly needed here, however i guess u were much more needed with god. Rip baby." Solange Knowles authored, "Iv'e grown your decision, looked up to you, viewed others attempt to capture that which you needed to no avail. You're the one & only Aaliyah! Never forgotten." STORY: Aaliyah Died ten years Ago Today: What Fans Say Ciara tweeted, "AALIYAH...A PRECIOUS SPIRIT...Unique...Can't Ever BE Changed." La La authored, "She was to date in front of her time...ur music & ur spirit still endures..might u still relaxation in peace..we like u..we CELEBRATE u." Mary J. Blige authored, "Hello twitter fam. Let's all take the time to consider our sister Aaliyah!!! Glee's Kevin McHale authored, "Recalling the very gifted, elegant, and delightful Aaliyah today." Diddy sent an easy message, "RIP Aaliyah." Related Subjects Ciara Drake Missy Elliott

Libyan Anchor Waves Gun on Air, Declares Herself Martyr to 'Protect Colleagues' (Video)

our editor recommendsAngelina Jolie Urges Help for Libyan RefugeesCNN Crew Narrowly Escapes Bomb Attack in Libya (Video) Libyan state news anchor Hala Misrati waved a gun on air during a weekend broadcast. "With this weapon, I either kill or die today," says Misrati, who has been criticized for defending the Gaddafi regime this spring when NATO and the U.S. launched attacked. "You won't take the channel, Tripoli or all of Libya," continued Misrati of the rebel attacks as the country engages in civil war. "I will protect my colleagues at the channel... We are willing to become martyrs." Related Topics

The Mentalist Hires Michael Rady to Play Patrick Jane's New Boss

Michael Rady Michael Rady has been tapped to succeed Aunjanue Ellis' Madeleine Hightower as the CBI's head honcho on The Mentalist, TVLine.com reports. The Mentalist exclusive: The CBI recruits Reed Diamond Rady, whose credits include Greek and the Melrose Place reboot, will play Luther Wainwright, the new special agent now in charge of Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and his team. Wainwright is described as a highly educated, fresh-faced idealist with off-beat good looks. Although he lacks much field experience, his ability to learn on his feet allow him to keep up with the quick-witted Patrick. What's on your Watchlist? Create one and add your favorites, like The Mentalist As previously announced, Reed Diamond will guest-star as a CBI supervising agent who assists Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and her team with a murder investigation. The Mentalist returns Thursday, Sept. 22 at 10/9c on CBS.

HBO in talks for Viola Davis, Dee Rees project

DavisReesAs "The Help" rides high at the B.O., thesp Viola Davis is turning her attention to the small screen, shepherding a possible starring half-hour vehicle for herself at HBO.HBO is close to finalizing deals for the untitled project Davis is developing with "Pariah" helmer Dee Rees, scribe Margaret Nagle and John Lesher.Series is said to be a look at the corruption of a city through the eyes of the headmaster of an execlusive prep school who has her eye on bigger things. Davis would play the headmaster, though sources cautioned that there is no deal yet in place for her to star.Rees is penning the script and co-writing the story with Nagle, an HBO vet who mostly recently wrote for the pay cabler's period drama "Boardwalk Empire." Rees may also direct the pilot once the final deals are hammered out. Davis, Nagle, Lesher and his producing partner Adam Kassan would serve as exec producers, with Rees as a co-exec producer.Rees made a mark at this year's Sundance fest with the LGBT-themed drama "Pariah," which was scooped up by Focus Features (Daily Variety, Jan. 31).In addition to "The Help," Davis will be back on the big screen in December in Warner Bros.' "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

Who Should Play Patti Smith in the Just Kids Movie?

Rock legend Patti Smith set the literary world on fire last year with her memoir Just Kids, a sensitive, longing look at her friendship with the late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The book mostly chronicles their years in New York prior to her fame as a punk poetess from the mid-’60s to the mid-’70s — before Horses revolutionized Ginsbergian rock. Now word is out that Smith is adapting the National Book Award winner into a screenplay with Gladiator scribe John Logan. Who should play the inimitable lady on the big screen? Let’s rank our top three candidates, shall we? We’re looking for a thespian of about 20-30 who can telegraph the soul of an artist. Pickings may be slim. 3. Kat Dennings Now, the Nick and Norah bombshell is a bit voluptuous and vampy for Patti Smith’s cut-up men’s shirts and suspenders, but i suspect some clever corseting can be done. I’m interested in seeing more sides of Dennings than the cavalier wisegirl who isn’t too cool to talk to you. I want to see her proclaim, dammit, in a woozy fit. Her version of “Because the Night” would surely bring CBGB patrons to their knees. 2. Kristen Stewart Say what you will about the sleepy-eyed maiden currently bearing a Cullen seedling, but Stewart looked damn fly in The Runaways. When given heartfelt dialogue, she’s a fine actor too (see: Adventureland). Though Patti Smith’s husky voice and electric stage presence would be a challenge for Stewart, she’s an obvious choice thanks to her natural air, a combination of surly and shy. 1. Cate Blanchett Blanchett possesses that mysterious ability to convey not just any gender or accent, but nearly any age. If you couldn’t believe how convincing and cool she was as a young Bob Dylan in the ridiculously stupid I’m Not There, imagine how ferocious she’d be as the drag-in-drag Smith, a woman who always flaunted the firepower of a Gorgon, the sneer of Dylan himself, and the call of a mythological bird demon. Blanchett’s got the nerve — and the cheekbones. Runners-Up: Keira Knightley, Mia Wasikowska, Ezra Miller · John Logan And Patti Smith Duet On Her Robert Mapplethorpe Memoir ‘Just Kids’ [Deadline]

Conan the Barbarian Tale of the Tape: Arnold Schwarzenegger vs. Jason Momoa

Next week, moviegoers will thrill to the tale of Conan, a sophisticated chap from the upper echelons of high society ... wait, what's that? That's not true? He's a "barbarian"? That seems like a harsh title, doesn't it? Well, in any case, the tale of Conan "the Barbarian" reenters the zeitgeist next week thanks to a new film starring Jason Momoa. How does Momoa stack up against the 1982 Conan, Arnold Schwarzenegger? And what do we know about Jason Momoa, apart from the fact that he appeared in 'Game of Thrones' without saying very much? Let's compare the two big-screen Conans, shall we? BIRTHPLACE Arnold Schwarzenegger: Born in Thai, Austria. Jason Momoa: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Advantage: Even HEIGHT Jason Momoa: By most accounts, Momoa is six foot, three inches tall. Arnold Schwarzenegger: By most accounts, Schwarzenegger is just under six feet tall. Advantage: Momoa FAMILY Arnold Schwarzenegger: His father joined the Nazi party in 1938. Jason Momoa: You know, let's just go ahead and give this one to Momoa ... no matter what. Advantage: Momoa Watch the trailer for 'Conan the Barbarian (2011)' HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Arnold Schwarzenegger: In the mid-1960s, started a bodybuilding career. Won his first Mr. Universe title in 1967. Jason Momoa: In 1998, started a modeling career. Advantage: Schwarzenegger ACTING DEBUT Arnold Schwarzenegger: First role was as Hercules in 'Hercules in New York.' Jason Momoa: First role was as Jason in 'Baywatch Hawaii.' Advantage: Momoa EXPERIENCE LEVEL Arnold Schwarzenegger: Before 'Conan,' had ten on-screen credits. Jason Momoa: Before 'Conan,' had eight on-screen credits. Advantage: Schwarzenegger TV CAREER Arnold Schwarzenegger: Appeared on the television series 'The Streets of San Francisco.' Jason Momoa: Appeared on the television series 'Stargate: Atlantis.' Advantage: Schwarzenegger FIGHTING SKILLS Jason Momoa: Portrayed Khal Drogo on 'Game of Thrones,' a man who would fight any challenger to defend his crown. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Portrayed Hercules in 'Hercules in New York,' a man who once punched a bear in Central Park. Advantage: Schwarzenegger BEST QUOTES Arnold Schwarzenegger: Most famous pre 'Conan' quote is "Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer," from 'Pumping Iron.' Jason Momoa: Most famous pre 'Conan' is (translated), "Mago, find somewhere else to stick your c**k," from 'Game of Thrones.' Advantage: Momoa ONLINE IDENTITY Arnold Schwarzenegger: Has a fairly secretive official website that asks us to "Stay tuned for my next move." Jason Momoa: Has a fairly secretive official website that only states, "Jason has some awesome new pics to show you. We just can't release them yet." Advantage: Schwarzenegger Watch Arnold in action as Conan Resurrection Conan the Barbarian - MOVIECLIPS.com THE NUMBERS GAME Jason Momoa: Was once assaulted by a man brandishing a beer glass, which resulted in stitches totaling upwards of 140. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Used to own a Mercedes W140. Advantage Momoa PATERNITY Jason Momoa: In 2007, Momoa and his partner, Lisa Bonet, welcomed their first child into the world. Arnold Schwarzenegger: In 1997, Schwarzenegger and his housekeeper ... um, never mind. Advantage: Momoa Obviously, Jason Momoa isn't anywhere near as accomplished as Schwarzenegger. But when you consider only their pre-Conan roles, Momoa -- mostly from his work on 'Game of Thrones' -- does have a slight advantage. Only time will tell if Momoa goes on to rule the box-office in a James Cameron film or (God help us) govern a state. But, up to this point, the result is, surprisingly ... WINNER: Jason Momoa You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter. Follow Moviefone on Twitter. (Banner image courtesy of Everett Collection | Lionsgate)

Stockholm laurel for Huppert

Isabelle Huppert has been chosen to receive this year's Bronze Horse award at the Stockholm Film Festival. Huppert, star of such films as "8 Women, which unspooled at the fest, will attend the 22nd edition in November, when she will be presented the award and participate in a Q&A known as Face2Face. The trophy, which is a 7 kg Bronze Horse, has been given to various actors and directors such as Roman Polanski, Lauren Bacall, David Lynch, Charlotte Rampling and Wong Kar Wai in the past. The Stockholm Film Festival runs Nov. 9-20 this year. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Zoe Saldana Would Be Up for an Andy Serkis Oscar Nom for Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Now that Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a success, there is talk of an Oscar campaign for Andy Serkis. Can the man who motion captured Caesar do what Zoe Saldana couldn’t do in Avatar: get the Academy to embrace a digital performance? “Motion capture definitely is like this new wave of making films that still keeps that awe-ness of filmmaking […] And you still get an amazing performance and everything,” Saldana said at the Teen Choice Awards. She hopes the Oscars are “more open to the technological aspects, the same way you would want to see more comedies and more horror movies get recognized with awards.” This is gonna be the Brett Ratner Oscars, so: anything goes? [LAT/24 Frames]

The Musical 'Rent' Returns to a New New York Home

NEW YORK (AP) Adam Chanler-Berat is asked if he knows how many minutes there are in a year. He doesn't hesitate."Something like 525,600 rings true," he says with a smile.No, he's not a math whiz, just a "Rent" fan.Though he was only about 10 when Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking musical made it to Broadway in 1996, Chanler-Berat saw it at least four times and soaked up the cast album countless times. Fans like that don't forget how a year is measured in the musical's crowd-pleasing song "Seasons of Love.""For me, it was the defining rock musical of my generation," says Chanler-Berat, who grew up to become a stage actor. "It was the first show that I can remember that really spoke to me and what I felt like was my generation."This month, Chanler-Berat is fulfilling a childhood dream by joining a new off-Broadway revival of the show just three years after "Rent" tearfully closed up shop on Broadway.The new production has been entrusted to Michael Greif, who also instantly knows how many minutes are in a year: He directed the show's original off-Broadway production, helmed its Tony-winning run on Broadway and has directed most of its touring companies."I'm really happy I have the opportunity to bring it back," says Greif, who after "Rent" went on to direct "Next to Normal" and "Grey Gardens" on Broadway. "Even in the few years that it was gone, people were saying 'Oh, I wish it were back.'"Larson's tale of free-spirited artists and street people in a gritty drug- and AIDS-plagued East Village of the early 1990s was inspired by Puccini's "La Boheme" and found a ready-made audience in young people. Larson never lived to see his triumph: He died at age 35 of an aortic aneurism after its final dress rehearsal in January 1996."Rent" lasted on Broadway for 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, launching the careers of Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, who reunited for a 2005 film version."Thank God there's a new cast doing the show in New York," says Martin, who went on to star on NBC's "Law & Order" and last year in "The Merchant of Venice" on Broadway. "I think it was a bit of shame that the show closed on Broadway in the first place. I'm looking forward to see what happens."The new production, which opens Aug. 11, has found a home in one of the 499-seat theaters at New World Stages on 50th Street, a complex that has offered other former Broadway shows such as "Avenue Q" and "Million Dollar Quartet" a lifeline. The new space has given Greif a chance to "reconceive" and "reimagine" the show."I walked in and it felt like a great home for it. It felt like a great scale for it. There are plenty of things that feel very much the same in a different environment and other things that we know we have the opportunity to rethink," says Greif."I hope the heart and the soul and the wit of the show are very much the same. The show was always about an adopted family learning how to care for one another and I think that's what the show still is."Besides the new cast, there's also a new set designer in Mark Wendland who has created a labyrinth of fire escapes and metal boxes and a new choreographer in Larry Keigwin, who says he was eager to take advantage of the new theater and set."It feels like an urban jungle gym," says Keigwin, the artistic director of Keigwin & Company who has worked on the off-Broadway musical "The Wild Party" and with the Radio City Rockettes. "No one is flipping or anything, but the set allows us to be very athletic and to use a lot of space."Changes to the city in the past 15 years including gentrification of the East Village as well as medical breakthroughs that have made AIDS survivable and evolving attitudes toward gay couples have prompted Greif to treat the musical as if it were a period piece. This "Rent" will not be updated."I feel it's very important that it be firmly set in its time because New York in the late '80s and the early '90s was a very different place. HIV status meant a very different thing," he says. "The inability to imagine the future motivates so many of these characters."The new cast like the original is made up of up-and-comers, including Chanler-Berat, who plays the filmmaker Mark and was in "Next to Normal" and "Peter and the Starcatcher," and Annaleigh Ashford, who has been on Broadway in "Wicked" and "Legally Blonde." Other actors were literally babies when "Rent" first appeared on Broadway.Martin, reminiscing on his days with the show, wishes the new kids luck and isn't worried that the first cast's legacy might cast a shadow over the new team. He anticipates they'll do what he and the debut cast did dig deep to rise to the stunning material."There was supreme talent there back then in the original company and there's supreme talent in the new company. There's supreme talent in 'Rent' companies all over the world," he says. "It tends to be a bit of a star-maker."Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By Mark Kennedy August 5, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT Joan Marcus NEW YORK (AP) Adam Chanler-Berat is asked if he knows how many minutes there are in a year. He doesn't hesitate."Something like 525,600 rings true," he says with a smile.No, he's not a math whiz, just a "Rent" fan.Though he was only about 10 when Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking musical made it to Broadway in 1996, Chanler-Berat saw it at least four times and soaked up the cast album countless times. Fans like that don't forget how a year is measured in the musical's crowd-pleasing song "Seasons of Love.""For me, it was the defining rock musical of my generation," says Chanler-Berat, who grew up to become a stage actor. "It was the first show that I can remember that really spoke to me and what I felt like was my generation."This month, Chanler-Berat is fulfilling a childhood dream by joining a new off-Broadway revival of the show just three years after "Rent" tearfully closed up shop on Broadway.The new production has been entrusted to Michael Greif, who also instantly knows how many minutes are in a year: He directed the show's original off-Broadway production, helmed its Tony-winning run on Broadway and has directed most of its touring companies."I'm really happy I have the opportunity to bring it back," says Greif, who after "Rent" went on to direct "Next to Normal" and "Grey Gardens" on Broadway. "Even in the few years that it was gone, people were saying 'Oh, I wish it were back.'"Larson's tale of free-spirited artists and street people in a gritty drug- and AIDS-plagued East Village of the early 1990s was inspired by Puccini's "La Boheme" and found a ready-made audience in young people. Larson never lived to see his triumph: He died at age 35 of an aortic aneurism after its final dress rehearsal in January 1996."Rent" lasted on Broadway for 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, launching the careers of Taye Diggs, Jesse L. Martin, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, who reunited for a 2005 film version."Thank God there's a new cast doing the show in New York," says Martin, who went on to star on NBC's "Law & Order" and last year in "The Merchant of Venice" on Broadway. "I think it was a bit of shame that the show closed on Broadway in the first place. I'm looking forward to see what happens."The new production, which opens Aug. 11, has found a home in one of the 499-seat theaters at New World Stages on 50th Street, a complex that has offered other former Broadway shows such as "Avenue Q" and "Million Dollar Quartet" a lifeline. The new space has given Greif a chance to "reconceive" and "reimagine" the show."I walked in and it felt like a great home for it. It felt like a great scale for it. There are plenty of things that feel very much the same in a different environment and other things that we know we have the opportunity to rethink," says Greif."I hope the heart and the soul and the wit of the show are very much the same. The show was always about an adopted family learning how to care for one another and I think that's what the show still is."Besides the new cast, there's also a new set designer in Mark Wendland who has created a labyrinth of fire escapes and metal boxes and a new choreographer in Larry Keigwin, who says he was eager to take advantage of the new theater and set."It feels like an urban jungle gym," says Keigwin, the artistic director of Keigwin & Company who has worked on the off-Broadway musical "The Wild Party" and with the Radio City Rockettes. "No one is flipping or anything, but the set allows us to be very athletic and to use a lot of space."Changes to the city in the past 15 years including gentrification of the East Village as well as medical breakthroughs that have made AIDS survivable and evolving attitudes toward gay couples have prompted Greif to treat the musical as if it were a period piece. This "Rent" will not be updated."I feel it's very important that it be firmly set in its time because New York in the late '80s and the early '90s was a very different place. HIV status meant a very different thing," he says. "The inability to imagine the future motivates so many of these characters."The new cast like the original is made up of up-and-comers, including Chanler-Berat, who plays the filmmaker Mark and was in "Next to Normal" and "Peter and the Starcatcher," and Annaleigh Ashford, who has been on Broadway in "Wicked" and "Legally Blonde." Other actors were literally babies when "Rent" first appeared on Broadway.Martin, reminiscing on his days with the show, wishes the new kids luck and isn't worried that the first cast's legacy might cast a shadow over the new team. He anticipates they'll do what he and the debut cast did dig deep to rise to the stunning material."There was supreme talent there back then in the original company and there's supreme talent in the new company. There's supreme talent in 'Rent' companies all over the world," he says. "It tends to be a bit of a star-maker."Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

How Hollywood Sells the Electric Car

I used to be General Motors' worst enemy," boasts documentary filmmaker Chris Paine, and he has a crisis-management paper leaked from within the company to prove it. His 2006 movie posed a question: Who Killed the Electric Car? At the time, the answer was GM. But that was five years ago and things change, especially if a cataclysmic recession comes along, altering the rules of the game and the attitudes of its players. Paine's new movie, Revenge of the Electric Car, which will have its European premiere at the Deauville American Film Festival the first week in September (and then be released theatrically in the U.S. on Oct. 21), recounts the bumpy journey of four men -- one private mechanic and three top car executives -- to bring sexy electric vehicles to market. But because the film takes place at a time of economic turmoil -- when Hollywood felt the loss of car-ad dollars and $4-plus a gallon gas prices undermined the SUV -- it also reveals a rarely discussed topic: the delicate dance between Hollywood and Detroit. The Motor City has never just sold machines. It has sold a fantasy -- of power and glamour and personal freedom. Paine calls this "the myth of the American car." For nearly a century, Hollywood has worked with Detroit to build this myth, making stars of vehicles ranging from the Ford Mustang (Bullitt) to the Pontiac Firebird (Knight Rider). Now that American automakers have done an about-face on electric cars, with GM's Volt named Motor Trend's 2011 Car of the Year and the Ford Focus Electric on its way to market, Hollywood's role as a tastemaker will be in the spotlight. Certainly, celebrities in the past have plumped for electric mobility: In 2001, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz bought the Toyota Prius, they helped kick off the hybrid boom; less successfully, Ed Begley Jr. and Danny DeVito championed the all-electric cars that were the subject of Paine's first movie. Still, the entertainment industry realizes one wrong step puts at risk the money it gets for showcasing the automotive fantasy. This summer's Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a love letter to the gas-powered car -- a yellow Camaro that doubles as the autobot Bumblebee. Automakers typically pay for placement by committing money toward advertising. Experts say that companies spend as much as $10 million on these campaigns -- and it can be more. GM ran an ad featuring Transformers that aired during the Super Bowl -- a 30-second spot that most likely cost $3 million. In the past decade, plug-in cars have not been portrayed in any consistent way. They have been both ridiculed (last fall, GLAAD pressed Universal to remove the sneer "Electric cars are so gay" from the trailer for Ron Howard's The Dilemma) and idealized (Iron Man's heroic Tony Stark owns a sleek battery-powered Tesla Roadster). But the tide seems to be turning. Pixar's Cars 2, released in June, raised the subversive prospect that big oil might have conspired to discredit alternative energy sources. Also that month, Americans voted strongly for fuel economy: The gas-powered Chevrolet Cruze -- which boasts 42 highway MPG -- became the country's best-selling car, beating out such imported fuel-sippers as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Paine's new movie is part of this trend. When it screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, it didn't just attract the environmentalists who loved his first film. "We saw a lot more people who just like cars," he says. This didn't surprise him, because the change in public opinion -- and the way that change has affected Detroit and Hollywood -- is the precise subject of his movie. It's a process he has watched and shaped. Although he has friends in Hollywood -- the 50-year-old Culver City resident has worked as an assistant to writer-director Michael Tolkin on The Rapture and The Player -- he says he is not "of Hollywood." His documentaries are low-budget independent features. This makes him as much an observer of the entertainment industry as he is of the car business. Two of the CEOs he profiles in Revenge seem obvious choices: Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motor Co., who risked $5 billion to mass-produce the all-electric Leaf, and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, whose high-performance Roadster proves "electric" does not mean "golf cart." But the third choice is a shocker: Bob Lutz, former vice chairman of GM -- also known as "Mr. Horsepower" -- the archvillain of Paine's 2006 film, who habitually chews on fat cigars and calls climate change "a crock." Yet between 2008 and 2010 -- possibly in response to the "tons of hate mail" he describes receiving from viewers of Who Killed? -- Lutz spearheaded production of the Volt, a 149-horsepower, luxuriously appointed, extended-range plug-in hybrid. Recessions make strange bedfellows. At first, Paine distrusted GM's invitation to film its development of the Volt. "I started with a strong adversarial stance, the idea that we were going behind enemy lines," he says. But in fall 2008, when the U.S. car industry foundered, Paine had to rethink his concept of the "enemy." As car-ad budgets shrank, Hollywood itself took a hit, pointing up the deep-rooted symbiosis between the entertainment industry and the auto business. "I saw dozens of my friends lose their jobs in the industry -- writers, directors, prop masters, set designers," Paine recalls. When Detroit's Big Three went to Congress for a bailout, they argued that their demise would result in the destruction of millions of jobs. "But it wasn't just auto workers or car dealers or Pep Boys who were affected, it was us." The pullback was measurable. Automotive News reported that in 2009, the biggest automakers in the U.S. market spent 23 percent less on measured media advertising than they had the previous year. The drop accompanied a 21 percent plummet in car sales, which reached their lowest level since 1982. "Measured media" includes print, but the largest sums have historically gone toward commercials and product placement on television shows and in movies. The numbers were big: In 2009, the nine top carmakers -- GM, Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Daimler -- spent $8.58 billion on all advertising, down from $11.18 billion the previous year. (2010 showed an amazing recovery, with automotive ad spending hitting $14.3 billion.) These figures reflect national media spending, not the money individual car dealers paid to advertise in their local markets. But these dollars also dried up, especially at Chrysler and GM, which declared bankruptcy and were forced to shutter numerous dealerships as a condition of their restructuring. "Television suffered when the automakers had to pull back because they represent a huge percentage of overall TV advertising," says David Kiley, the editor-in-chief of AOL Autos who has covered the car industry for more than 20 years. But because product placement is as much an art as a science, it's difficult to attach a number to the pain. Advertisers don't pay a fixed fee for specific ratings points. Nor are desirable demographics a mere matter of age, with twentysomethings leading the pack. "The ideal demographic for luxury brands is older, people in their 50s or beyond who have money to spend," says Simon Sproule, Nissan's corporate vp for global marketing communications. Sponsors also will pay more for what Kiley calls "quality" -- award-winning, critically acclaimed shows that attract an educated, high-income audience. In 2005, The West Wing was such a show, and GM was a sponsor. Through his friendship with Allison Janney, a castmember, Paine got an insider's peek at what he terms the "apex of the SUV generation." After ordering Paine to "behave," Janney let him escort her to GM's annual Oscar party -- a glittering circus of Hummers, Escalades and their celebrity occupants. Agog, he stayed until 1 a.m., when he drove to Burbank for an event he had been filming earlier for Who Killed? Outside GM's regional headquarters, protesters staged a round-the-clock vigil to prevent 78 specimens of GM's first electric car, the EV1, from being crushed. They still had hope; their efforts had not yet proved futile. "I brought them a party balloon and a leftover chocolate strawberry," Paine recalls, "and told them about the Hummer on the stage," which had then seemed invincible. Three years later, though, the party was truly over (and the EV1 crushed). Gas prices soared. SUV sales plummeted. GM scrapped its 12 mpg Hummer brand during its bankruptcy reorganization. It canceled its Oscar bash. Suddenly, Paine and GM were on the same side -- which also happened to be the side of Nissan and Tesla. Related Topics Leonardo DiCaprio 1 2 next last

Here's Your First Look at Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Future Catwoman, in The Dark Knight Rises

Perhaps due to some interoffice jealousy over the fact that Zack Snyder got to release a picture of Henry Cavill as Superman this week — or perhaps owing to a well-scheduled Google Calendar of marketing teases — the Dark Knight Rises team over at Warner Bros. has offered up a first look of Anne Hathaway in the Christopher Nolan mega-film. Exciting! How does Hathaway’s Selina Kyle compare to Michelle Pfeiffer’s iconic incarnation of the mischievous Catwoman in Batman Returns? Good, totally-unanswerable question, self! After all, it’s only a still photo. What the picture does show, however, is that Hathaway’s Ms. Kyle gets to ride a pretty badass Batcycle (or maybe Catcycle) in The Dark Knight Rises, all while wearing customary superhero leather. (Nice sunglasses, too; they look Bluetooth enabled.) One note about whether or not this is actually Hathaway as Catwoman: the .jpeg on the Dark Knight Rises website — where the picture was released — is labeled “selina_kyle.” Important distinguisher or totally meaningless? You make the call. Check out the full image below. [Click for bigger.] The Dark Knight Rises swings into theaters on July 20, 2012. [via thedarkknightrises.com]

Rachel Weisz on The Whistleblower, Her Toronto Two-Fer and the 'Experimental' Terrence Malick

Rachel Weisz delivers an extraordinary performance in this week’s The Whistleblower, which features the Oscar-winner as a Nebraska cop whose stint as a UN peacekeeper in Bosnia unravels when she discovers her coalition’s complicity in an international sex-slavery ring. Based on true events involving Weisz’s character Kathryn Bolkovac, the film charts a downswing of humanity salvaged only by Bolkovac’s struggle to expose it and, in turn, Weisz’s sensitive handling of a woman coming to terms with a world beyond compassion. Thematically on-the-nose as Larysa Kondracki’s feature directing debut can be at times, Weisz offers a richly dynamic portrait of a woman who, when faced with seemingly no choices in her life, does something radical with the realization of what freedom — cultural freedom, economic freedom, sexual freedom, and the overlaps therein — actually means. It’s moving stuff and deserves attention in this otherwise parched month of moviegoing — or any other month, for that matter, particularly during awards season. Weisz recently spoke with Movieline about The Whistleblower, the myths of activist filmmaking, and the busy fall she has coming up. When did you first hear of Kathy Bolkovac’s story, and what was your reaction? I heard about it when I read the script. I’d never heard of her until that moment. I think it fits into my… [Pause] You know. It’s not a documentary. It’s not a biopic. It’s a film based on her story and also lots of other research that the Larisa, the writer-director, did. So I think it kind of fits into one of my personal favorite film genres, which is the kind of David-and-Goliath, “ordinary person doing extraordinary things” film. Like Silkwood is one of my personal favorites. More recently, Erin Brockovich is something where people might know what I’m talking about. Serpico is the male version of that. I love that genre of thriller. It’s one of my favorites — where people have these personalities, these characters, and they’re just ordinary people. But they see something that’s unjust and kind of go after it blindly. But when you read the script the first time, you weren’t prepared to take it on, right? I read it when I was pregnant. At that moment it was too intense for me to get my head around. But I just never forgot it. I called the producer a couple years later and said, “Remember that script The Whistleblower?” And she said, “Yes.” It was somewhere; I don’t know what it was doing, but she got it for me. I presume you met Kathy? I did. About a week into filming, I met her for the first time. What was that meeting like? What did you want to take from it? I’d seen photos of her, and we talked on the phone. We don’t really look the same. I wasn’t trying to physically emulate her. But I guess the main thing I got from her is how fun she is. She a kind of sexy, ballsy, fun Midwestern mom, you know? And she’s quite lighthearted. I guess her spirit — she’s got a very particular kind of spirit. That’s really all I could hope to emulate. That surprises me. In addition to that moral or intellectual headspace you occupy as Kathy, there’s a very physical headspace. Her tone, her walk, her posture… Well, I met cops. I met some cops here in New York — female cops. I guess that was the challenge: to be a cop from Nebraska. I’m from North London. It’s very culturally different! So I had to get her in my walk and center of gravity. It’s a very different center of gravity from the one I normally have. I mean, she’s tough! You have to be to be a female cop. There is an activist component to films like this or The Constant Gardener. Does that enter into your decision process when considering roles? No. Definitely not. That’s just coincidence? I’m not an activist in any way, shape or form, and I don’t think movies are a call to action. I don’t see it like that at all. I just think she was a great character, and this was a great story. And it happens to be based on something that’s true, which is, like, “Wow. That’s even more interesting to me than if it were pure fiction.” But… no. So the idea that this film could effect change in some way — is that something you’re interested in or that you hope for? Or is it just entertainment? I would never make a claim that a film could effect change. If it does, it’s so outside my understanding or my control. I’m hoping to entertain, illuminate, inspire. Personally, I find movies like Erin Brockovich or Silkworm very inspiring. But it hasn’t made me go out and take on big corporations. That’s not what I do. And I’m sure that if I’d been in Kathy’s position, I’d have done nothing. I’m not that person. But I find it really inspiring to see what human beings are capable of. What can you tell me about The Deep Blue Sea and 360 — the two films you have coming up at Toronto? I just heard about 360. That did get in. But Deep Blue Sea is an adaptation of a 1950s Terence Rattigan play; it’s a classic play. It was made into a film that I haven’t seen, which starred Vivian Leigh. It’s a big, meaty British role. It’s like the female Haml — well, I don’t know what the equivalent would be. It’s a big, meaty British role for the stage, which I’d never actually seen or read before. It’s a story about a woman in the ’50s who leaves her husband, in this film played by Simon Russell Beale, for a younger man — and has a very, kind of crazy and tempestuous and codependent love affair. It’s about a woman’s break for freedom and… [Pause] Yeah, it’s like that. And it’s directed by Terence Davies. I don’t know if he’s that well-known in America, but I guess movie buffs would. Of course! He’s Terence Davies. He’s kind of like Terrence Malick — or how Terrence Malick used to be, a movie every decade or whatever. So it’s Terence Davies, and then Tom Hiddleston as my young lover. Great, great actor. But yeah. Low-budget. I’m very proud of it. That will be its world premiere in Toronto. And the other film is 360. That’s Fernando Meirelles, and that’s an ensemble piece. Everyone who’s on it had about five days shooting. It’s based on La Ronde, so it’s basically one person meets with someone who sleeps with someone who meets someone… It’s about how all these people are connected, and it goes all around the world. My portion was in London; I’m married to Jude Law. I don’t know if I can say what the plot bit is. I think it’s meant to be secret. OK, well, we can be surprised. And of course you just worked on Terrence Malick’s new one as well. How was that? Incredible. Unlike any other experience with any other director on any other film — in a good way. Completely unique and hard to describe, but completely wonderful. How so? He just works in a different… I mean, as I’m sure people have told you and as you’ve read about, he just doesn’t work in the normal place of having a script with a narrative — lines that you say, marks that you hit. Just the way you work with the camera: You keep moving. It was very experimental, I’d say, for the camera and for the actors with him at the helm. It was very experimental. So you’ve worked with Davies and Malick. Are there any filmmakers you’re eager to collaborate with? So many. Let’s pick one. Oh… [Pause] Steven Spielberg. Really? I don’t know. It just came to me. [Laughs] Why not? He’s very good. Yeah, I’ve heard of him. I’d like to work with Walter Salles as well. He’s very, very good. Who else? Ridley Scott! I’d love to work with Ridley Scott. I could have sworn you two worked together on something once. No, we never have. We kind of nearly did once, but— For what? Oh, for… [Pause] Well, someone else did it so I probably shouldn’t say! But we should work together. [Top photo: Getty Images; Deep Blue Sea photo: TIFF]

Associates: Professional shuffles

Ron Howard continues to be chosen towards the board of company directors from the Jacob Burns Film Center, a nonprofit institution having a dual mission of independent film exhibition and century education.Spike TV has named Justin Lacob director of original series. Formerly, Lacob was senior director of development at Intuitive Entertainment.Jeffrey Schneider continues to be hired to some recently produced publish as professional Vice president of economic matters for entertainment and digital systems and integrated media at NBCUniversal. Most lately, Schneider offered as senior Vice president of economic matters-deputy general counsel for Lifetime Television Systems.Entertainment You have drawn on Tecca Crosby senior Vice president of creative matters. Formerly, Crosby was Vice president of drama for Temple Street Prods.Reed Cruz has hired Tom K. Ara towards the firm's corporate and investments group within the Century City office. Formerly, Ara was with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in L.A.Asia TV USA, distributor of Zee TV within the U.S. -- has named Tom Marsillo senior Vice president of advertising sales for that mainstream market.Leigh Rodwick continues to be hired mind of global partnership marketing at Five33. Formerly Rodwick was marketing director for store Hot Subject.Josh Libitsky continues to be upped to professional producer for Stardust. Libitsky continues to be Stardust's mind of production within the last 3 years. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com