WWE Royal Rumble, Mike Tyson, The Great Gatsby, James Bond; Wrestling, Movies And Games

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The Media Man agency has tons of interesting news to report today. We've got pro wrestling WWE style, Hollywood, AussieWood, The Great Gatsby's Leonardo DiCaprio back in Sydney, Australia, James Bond and more.

3, 2, 1 and action...

Today at Bondi Beach, thanks to the wonders of pay TV and Murdoch's Foxtel, Aussies were able to enjoy one of the key WWE showcase events of the year - Royal Rumble, known for its 30 man battle royale, and for establishing stories and matches for pro wrestlers leading into WrestleMania (for which The Rock VS John Cena) has been inked in stone for about a year.

Match Results...

Sheamus aka "The Great White" won the battle royale. This sets him up for a world championship match at WrestleMania
WWE Champion CM Punk def. Dolph Ziggler (Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis)
Brodus Clay def. Drew McIntyre
John Cena vs. Kane (Double Count-out)
Divas Champion Beth Phoenix, Natalya & The Bella Twins def. Eve, Kelly Kelly, Alicia Fox & Tamina
World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan def. Big Show and Mark Henry (Triple Threat Steel Cage Match)


Mike Tyson Enters WWE® Hall of Fame...

The WWE has announced today that boxing legend Mike Tyson will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL on Saturday March 31, 2012.

Tyson has a long and colourful history with WWE. In 1998, after a face-to-face confrontation with WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin® on Monday Night Raw®, Tyson was named special enforcer for the main event at WrestleMania® XIV between Austin and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. In the match, Tyson declared Austin the winner, and delivered a knockout punch to Michaels. In 2011, Tyson made his WWE return when he guest starred on Monday Night Raw, teaming with Chris Jericho® against Shawn Michaels and Triple H®. Tyson joins comedian Drew Carey and notable sports figures Bob Uecker, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Pete Rose in the WWE Hall of Fame.

"I am honored to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame,” said Tyson, “I was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, but the most fun I ever had in the ring was with WWE."

As one of the most iconic boxers in history, Mike Tyson was the undisputed heavyweight champion and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles. In addition to his in-ring accolades, Tyson is also a pop culture icon with roles in the blockbuster Hangover movies and the subject of the critically acclaimed biographical film Tyson. His also have a new game application, Mike Tyson: Main Event, which is currently available on iTunes.

Tyson will be inducted alongside Edge®, The Four Horsemen, Mil Mascaras and others at the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony Saturday, March 31 at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, FL.

Austin is our tip to induct Tyson into the Hall.

Australian's don't have to fly to Miami to enjoy the action. You can order it on pay TV via Foxtel's Main Event, or by the time the event comes around, you may even be able to order it via the WWE official website.

The WWE will be back in Sydney, Australia on the 31st August via AllPhones Arena.


Leonardo DiCaprio back into Sydney for The Great Gatsby filming...

He's back - for work, and just a touch of play time with a special lady - (Erin Heatherton) we suspect. Leo's other flick, J. Edgar is currently showing in Australian cinema's. If your into Leo or political movies you will love it. Otherwise, you might want to check out something else with your hard earned cash.


James Bond's cars etc al showed off in UK...

The world’s most famous secret agent turns 50 this year and to celebrate a collection of 50 vehicles from the James Bond films has gone on show in England.

The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu has put together the show, Bond In Motion, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film, Dr No. It took over of planning to bring the huge variety of vehicles together in the one location.

The vehicles have been sourced from a variety of collectors including the Ian Fleming Foundation and Eon Productions as well as several private collectors.

Some of the star attractions include the Lotus Esprit submarine from The Spy Who Loved Me, the crashed Aston Martin DBS from Casino Royale and, of course, the Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger.

The exhibition will run for a year and will coincide with the latest Bond film, due for release later this year.


Mission Impossible 4 breaks own record...

'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' is the most successful film in the movie series' franchise.

The Brad Bird-directed film - which sees Tom Cruise return as operative Ethan Hunt, alongside Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg - has made $571 million worldwide since its release late last year, and studio Paramount has admitted it is delighted with the success.

Rob Moore, Vice Chairman of Paramount, said: 'Brad Bird, Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams and the entire team who worked on 'M:I4' created an incredibly entertaining film, one that fans worldwide embraced in record numbers.'

'Mission: Impossible II' is the next most successful film in the franchise, earning $546 million worldwide.

Brad has previously joked he was terrified about being the director who killed off Tom when he made him hang off the world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai for the fourth instalment of the movie.

He said: 'I think every director that has worked with him in these kinds of films probably has that feeling where your eyes snap open at three in the morning and you go, 'My god, what am I doing?' Definitely.'

Gaming fans can play the original Mission: Impossible game via Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment owned PartyCasino. See Media Man News for more details on the M: I gaming connection.


AACTA Awards At Sydney Opera House Tonight...

The who's who of the Australian film and television industry is in town for the AACTA awards.

Oscar-winners Geoffrey Rush and Cate Blanchett and Xavier Samuel (Twilight: Eclipse) were in the mix of the confirmed presenters for the event which will be broadcast via Channel 9 from 9.30pm.

The Aussie drama Red Dog is expected to make a huge showing at Australia's largest film awards.

The flick is based on a true story about a kelpie adopted by a remote West Australian mining community.

Red Dog has been nominated for six of the seven major awards at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) including Best Film, Best Director and Best adapted screenplay.

Other nominees for the top award include Mad Bastards, Snowtown and The Hunter.

The AACTAs, previously known as the AFI's, will be held in Sydney on Tuesday.

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J. Edgar Movie Review: Leonardo DiCaprio brilliant

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This is the biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, the founding director of the FBI.

Leonardo DiCaprio was sure brave in taking on this acting challenge.

At 37, he's already played billionaire Howard Hughes (The Aviator), junkie Jim Carroll (The Basketball Diaries), great impostor Frank Abagnale Jr. (Catch Me If You Can) and Shakespeare's Romeo.

In J. Edgar, DiCaprio plays Hoover in both his twenties and seventies.

He is America's most feared and hated top law enforcement official ... at the FBI.

DiCaprio is brilliant in this role, and without him the film would be a lot less interesting in my estimation. Leo pretty much saves the film.

Until his death in 1972, J. Edgar Hoover ruled the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Not even eight presidents could stop him getting his way more often than not.

For half a century Hoover nosed into private lives to keep his enemies in check, and he even kept files on some friends also. Hoover was not without his own secrets too - being gay being potentially the most dangerous.

Director Clint Eastwood, now 81, and Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, 37, have done a great job with what could have easily been fairly bland material. Those into Leo or political films will love it, but that's not everyone.

The matter of Hoover taking a liking to women's clothing is touched on, but not over-done.

The film spends a lot of time focusing on those closest to J. Edgar Hoover: his mum, Annie Hoover (Judi Dench); his protective secretary, Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts); and FBI associate director Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), the lawyer who became J. Edgar's constant companion.

Hoover's greatest love appeared to be the United States and his need to protect it from commies and radicals.

Eastwood covers Hoover's rise and sorts out fact from fiction. Hoover did popularize fingerprinting and the collection of forensic evidence, but he also had a penchant for giving himself credit where it wasn't due, for killing gangster John Dillinger, solving the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby, and being the ultimate G-man, making arrests and capturing bad guys.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

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J. Edgar Movie Review: Leonardo DiCaprio plays convincing role

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This is the biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, the founding director of the FBI.

Clint Eastwood's 32nd film as director has been scripted by gay writer Dustin Lance Black (Milk). Black demonstrates the romantic nature of the bond between Hoover and Tolson, but doesn't actually show any physical side to the attachment other than the odd holding of hands and the like well out of public view.

The flick has a strong them of Hoover's obsessive service to the bureau, encouraged by his loving but strict mother Anna Marie (Judi Dench).

Known for his rather megalomaniacal pursuit of what he perceived to be "threats to common decency", Hoover was a hardliner, and darn proud of it.

Leonardo DiCaprio is brilliant in acting here, and shows further depth in his diverse career.

The film's narrative structure takes a bit of getting used to, but it effective.

All entry and exit points are guarded by Hoover throughout J. Edgar, key events are tied together by scenes of the elderly Hoover dictating his memoirs to a range of personal assistants - all which seem to know the tactics that their boss uses to maintain his power in the world of politics and law.

We learn that Hoover is not unbiased in his narrations. Just as Hoover cemented his career on finding out what others had to hide, there were a few indiscretions he needed to hide from public view himself.

Hoover publicly placed homosexuals closely behind communists as "enemies of the state", the true nature of his close personal relationship with long-time second-in-command Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) was let's say, platonically gay.

During Hoover's four-decade reign as America's self-appointed moral guardian he hid his union with Tolson, knowing that the public or the fraternity wouldn't accept it.

In an almost evil genius tactic, Hoover personally maintained detailed files on everyone he did not like, as well as anyone who did not like him. It was a huge file.

None of the serving US presidents was able to bury Hoover, since he had dirt on all of them too.
Hoover was so good at covering his tracks that those files disappeared within hours of his death.

Clint Eastwood and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) do a great job at telling this story and both Leo as well as fans of political power themed movies will love it.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

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Entertainment News: Hollywood And AussieWood - WWE, IGT, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Hemsworth, Underbelly, by Greg Tingle

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The Media Man agency has a bush tucker of interesting news to report today. We're got Hollywood, AussieWood, Australia's own Chris "Thor" Hemsworth, "Underbelly" from the mean streets of Sydney, Australia, and more. 3, 2, 1 and action...

WWE Sign Son of Legendary Country Singer Kris Kristofferson To Contract...

Country singer and actor Kris Kristofferson is currently celebrating his son Jody being signed by WWE. Jody Kristofferson had a tryout match at WWE last Summer and impressed Triple H.

The deal has apparently been in place for some time now, but the deal was kept quiet. Jody had been going by the nickname ‘Big County’ in All Pro Wrestling. APW is a California-based promotion and has helped trained many big stars in the industry including: Crash Holly, Great Khali and Sara Del Rey.

Jody has appeared on an episode of SmackDown in 2010. He wrestled against Big Show in a 3-on-1 handicap match on August 13. At the time, Matt Striker referenced him as the ‘Highway Man’. The Highwaymen were a group of country singers comprising Jody’s Dad Kris, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

After impressing WWE officials against Brodus Clay this past Summer, Jody was signed to a developmental deal and is expected to start working with Florida Championship Wrestling very soon.

Triple H notably worked with Jody’s Dad in the 2004 movie Blade Trinity.

The WWE will be in Sydney on 31st August with its RAW World Tour.


WWE Superstar David Otunga -- Slams Competition in Triumphant Return to His Lawyer Life...

WWE superstar David Otunga took a break from his full time wrestling gig to return to his previous career -- attorney-at-law -- and much like his "Monday Night Raw" matches ... crushed the competition.

TMZ found out Otunga returned to court Thursday morning to represent a man who believes he was wrongfully terminated and denied unemployment benefits. Otunga tells us he was repping the man in his appeal to the NY State Department of Labor.

The proceedings took place before an administrative judge who heard witness testimony and arguments from both sides.

Otunga -- who graduated from Harvard Law School before wrestling -- told us he "smoked the witness during cross examination." The judge agreed ... Otunga's client won the appeal and will now get unemployment benefits.

Otunga says he enjoys keeping his legal skills sharp, and adds ... "If the outcome of the case is any indication of how I'll do in the Royal Rumble this weekend, then it looks like I'll be the winner."

By the way, Otunga didn't do it for the cash -- he took the case, pro bono. (Credit: TMZ)


New Terminator film to be R-rated...

Coming the week after Sylvester Stallone confirmed that The Expendables 2 was to be a PG-13 movie, at the wishes of Chuck Norris, there’s better news surrounding the planned Terminator 5.

The project is stuck in limbo at the moment, with planned director Justin Lin committed to two more Fast And The Furious movies. But Megan Ellison, who is funding the new Terminator movie, has answered one key question about the new film: Will it be stuck with a PG-13 rating? The answer? No, it won’t.

She wrote on Twitter, “We can't really tell you guys anything about Terminator BUT it will be an R rated film as God and James Cameron intended.”

More on Terminator 5 soon.


Sly and Arnie 'killing thousands of bats'...

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are under fire from animal activists after they woke up one of Europe's biggest colonies of hibernating bats to film their latest movie.

They say the bats may starve in their thousands because the lights and cameras disturbed their winter sleep, leaving them disorientated and confused.

Stallone, Schwarzenegger and their crew entered the Devetashka cave in Bulgaria to film The Expendables 2, due to be screened this summer.


Sylvester Stallone Responds to The Expendables 2 PG-13 Rumor...

A few days back we got wind that that The Expendables 2, the follow-up to Sylvester Stallone's 2010 action flick that starred about half of Hollywood's action stars, would be rated PG-13. The story was instantly thought as a a rumor after Chuck Norris told a Polish news site that he only agreed to appear in the sequel if the "vulgar dialogue" was dropped so the movie could avoid a R-rating that would exclude "many young people" from watching.

Was Norris misquoted? Or was the translation off? Many thought the story couldn't be true, because the first Expendables movie didn't end up earning $274 million worldwide by playing nice. While it may be disappointing for some, Stallone wrote to AICN and revealed that, yes, Norris was telling the truth after all. He also warns that before fans "pass judgement", Expendables 2 is still going to "deliver."

Harry, the film is fantastic with (Jean-Claude) Van Damme turning in an inspired performance... Our final battle is one for the ages. The PG13 rumor is true, but before your readers pass judgement, trust me when I say this film is LARGE in every way and delivers on every level. This movie touches on many emotions which we want to share with the broadest audience possible, BUT, fear not, this Barbeque of Grand scale Ass Bashing will not leave anyone hungry...Sly

The Expendables 2 brings back the Expendables crew — Barney Ross (Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) and newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) — for a new mission where they will lose one of their own and seek revenge. Whether the movie will be the "barbeque" that Stallone promises remains to be seen, as the teaser trailer released in December spent its running time going through the movie's massive cast rather than revealing much footage from the sequel. We keenly await another trailer to help judge.

Directed by Simon West (Con Air), The Expendables 2 co-stars Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.


Underbelly 2012...

From the streets of 1920’s Darlinghurst to the back alleys of Melbourne in the 90’s, the Underbelly franchise has kept us engrossed by the extraordinary criminal stories in Australia. In 2012 Underbelly is back, along with one of its biggest characters ever...


Hemsworth in a constant honeymoon...

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have been on a 'constant honeymoon' since they got married.

The couple - who are expecting their first child together - tied the knot in December 2010 after almost a year of dating and the actress says they have loved every minute of married life so far.

She said: 'Marriage has been wonderful. A constant honeymoon. I feel very lucky to have found the person who completes me.'

Though she doesn't know the gender of her unborn tot, Elsa is expecting their baby to be 'stubborn' because it is a characteristic shared by herself and her spouse.

She explained: 'Because it's our first child, we would be happy with either a boy or a girl. The only thing we care about is that it is healthy. But it's bound to be stubborn because we both have such strong personalities.'

Elsa - who is Spanish - also admitted she has no idea where she and Australian-born Chris will welcome their child into the world because her spouse is so busy.

Asked where the baby will be born, she told Britain's HELLO! magazine: 'We don't know yet. It depends where we are. We move about all the time. Chris has got a lot of projects on the go and at least four movies coming out this year, so it depends on that. Wherever he is, that's where I'll be.'


IGT Supports California Tribes Through Western Indian Gaming Conference Sponsorship...

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 27, 2012 - International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) announced today that the Company will sponsor the 2012 Western Indian Gaming Conference hosted by the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA). The conference runs from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2 at the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa in Cabazon, Calif.

"IGT is proud of our history of support for the California Nations Indian Gaming Association," said Knute Knudson, IGT's vice president of global business development. "We deeply value our relationship with CNIGA and our long-term commitment to CNIGA's member tribes as well as our continued support for the 2012 Western Indian Gaming Conference."

IGT has been a strong proponent of CNIGA for more than 10 years with contributions to their association to maintain Tribal Sovereignty and promote Indian Gaming. Most recently, IGT entered into an agreement with CNIGA called the IGT/CNIGA Wide Area Progressive (WAP). This mutually beneficial initiative included financial support for CNIGA while increasing MegaJackpots® WAP games on the floors of their members' properties.

"Revenues raised from the WIGC go directly to fund CNIGA's work to preserve and protect tribal government gaming rights," said Chairman Daniel J. Tucker, "Through this sponsorship, IGT continues their long standing support of the association. We are thankful to IGT for their ongoing dedication to the tribal government gaming industry."

About CNIGA
The California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), founded in 1988, is a non-profit organization comprised of federally-recognized tribal governments. CNIGA is dedicated to the purpose of protecting the sovereign right of Indian tribes to have gaming on federally-recognized Indian lands. It acts as a planning and coordinating agency for legislative, policy, legal and communications efforts on behalf of its members and serves as an industry forum for information and resources. Visit www.CNIGA.com for more information.

About IGT
International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of gaming machines and systems products, as well as online and mobile gaming solutions for regulated markets.

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WWE Legend's House begins filming next month in California; Foxtel May Scoop Slam, by Greg Tingle

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Wrestling fans from Sydney's Bondi Beach, New York, USA, Hollywood and around the world are buzzing at the news of an upcoming WWE television show - WWE Legend's House, which will be one of the showcase programs on the new WWE Network.

Filming is to commence next month in Rancho Mirage, California, USA and its turned into quite a news media frenzy with video camera operators and photographers all seeking out shots of the legends.

This February at least eight former World Wrestling Entertainment stars will be under one roof in a show not too unlike MTV's "Real Life" with a bit of "Jersey Shore", "Big Brother", "The Ultimate Fighter" and "Tough Enough" thrown in there for good measure.

WWE Legends House will be filmed in Rancho Mirage at the historic home of late comedian Harpo Marx at the Tamarisk Country Club.

WWE Hall of Famer "Mean" Gene Okerlund, the legendary wrestling announcer and interviewer, has been confirmed for the show. Australian fans will recognise Gene as the host of "WWE Vintage Collection" as seen on Foxtel - Fox 8, usually in a TV spot next to WWE SmackDown or WWE Superstars.

We're been tipped off that other cast members with include "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and The Iron Sheik. We're hoping that Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, "The Honky Tonk Man", "The Magnificent" Don Muraco or even Ric Flair (*Flair is currently under contract to Impact Wrestling) are also a chance to appear. Don't expect Scott Hall to appear as the man formally known as "Razor Ramon" has been getting some WWE Wellness Program rehab (for real) in recent years, and to have Hall on the new show would not be a wise risk to take at this stage of the game, however we're hopeful Hall may be able to appear on future episodes of Legends House, should the show be as wildly successful as anticipated.

Sadly Australia's "Outback Jack" - real name Peter Stilsbury (circa 1987 with WWF) won't appear, nor will Nathan "The Front Row" Jones. Neither would be considered an outright WWE legend, however both were certainly well known in their day.

Can you imagine The Iron Sheik drinking, eating and just socializing in general with other WWE legends. Something tells us they are going to have to bleep out much of his foul language, but fans familiar with the very funny and vulgar sheik will get the idea.

Hardcore fans will remember the time Australia's Wide World of Sports on Channel Nine aired the Madison Square Garden matches featuring "The Iron Shiek". One was when then WWF Champion Bob Backlund got caught in the camel clutch by the Iranian and Backlund's manager, (the late) Arnold Skaaland threw in the towel. The other famous sheik match that aired on the then Kerry Packer owned Channel Nine was when Hulk Hogan beat the sheik with his famous clothesline and atomic leg drop. The old WWF Championship Wrestling used footage from the Hogan - Sheik match for its intro music video for many years.

The WWE is going to pitch "Legends House" to audiences as unscripted drama, which is curious as pro wrestlers by nature usually work of a script. Wooooo! - we just broke kayfabe again, but most of the western world knows pro wrestling aka "sports entertainment" has storylines, angles, script writers et al these days, but that's not to say they are not talented athletes - they are indeed some of the best athletes on the planet, but only a few such as Roddy Piper could be considered a very talented actor as far as regular movie appearances go.

The concept does share some similarities to the UFC's Ultimate Fighter (TUF) series, but its wrestling legends - not up and coming UFC stars, who have to prove their worth in matches.

Many fans are hoping for a few outcomes - legends sharing tales from the road trips and locker rooms, who hated who for real, secrets of the profession and that sort of thing. We suppose if a real fight breaks out on set that will be a bonus.

The Media Man agency's spokesperson said "We fully expect that WWE Legends House" will become one of the most popular and most talked about shows on both American and Australian television. WWE top brass genius Vince McMahon has really hit the sweet spot with this one. It's got ratings winner all over it and fits in perfectly with the current "reality era" of the WWE, where the pro wrestling action and scripts carry a much more realistic edge than in the '90 - 2000 era. Australian TV networks, be it Foxtel or Network Nine or Ten, would do well to get in early on this one and secure the rights of a sure fire winner. Kids and parents should try not to copy some of the bad language and practical jokes that are bound to be a staple of this hot new show".

*Wrestling History

January 23, 1984: Hulk Hogan beats Iron Sheik to win hist first WWF title - Madison Square Garden, New York, USA

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Pokies argy-bargy waste of time, says Julia Gillard - 23rd January 2012

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PM Julia Gillard is sticking by her decision to pull back from a deal on poker machine aka slot machine reforms, stating there is no point to parliament engaging in political argy-bargy over the issue.

The Prime Minister insists there is insufficient support in parliament's lower house for mandatory pre-commitment, despite her deal with independent MP Andrew Wilkie following the 2010 general election.

Instead the government will fund a trial of the problem-gambling measure across the ACT in 2013 ahead of a possible national rollout in 2016.

The decision has pissed off anti-gambling advocates and Mr Wilkie, who has withdrawn support for the minority Gillard Government.

It is however welcomed by Labor backbenchers who have felt the stress of an awesomely effective campaign war by the registered clubs sector.

Ms Gillard says there is no point in putting Mr Wilkie's measure to the parliament because it does not have the support of the coalition and key crossbenchers.

"We can have all sorts of political argy-bargy and end up with nothing," she told press today.

"Or we could get a piece of legislation through the parliament that will deliver real change."

Other government measures will include limits on ATM cash withdrawals at gaming revenues.

Ms Gillard also flagged the government may be prepared to consider a trial of $1 bet limits on "low-intensity" poker machines.

But she said that measure, proposed initially by Mr Wilkie and backed by the Australian Greens, was the most costly option to address problem gambling.

The Prime Minister has defended the decision to pay ACT clubs at least $37 million to take part in the mandatory pre-commitment trial.

The Government will pay clubs a monthly compensation fee for the year, and is also offering a total of more than $1 million for training, specialist workers and business planning.

It has not ruled out there could be more compensation as the trial is reviewed.

"We need the cooperation of the clubs to have the trial," Ms Gillard said.

"To go down the path ... you don't give them full compensation would equal having no trial."

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Celebrities reach phone hacking settlement - 19th January 2012

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Rupert Murdoch's media empire has made huge payouts to 37 phone-hacking victims, including actor Jude Law, singer Danii Minogue, and former British deputy prime minister John Prescott, their lawyers said.

The High Court in London heard new details of settlements amounting to more than 645,000 pounds ($960,000), including 130,000 pounds for Alfie star Law, for hacking by the News of the World tabloid.

Law said in a statement after the hearing that he launched his case "to find out the truth" about the phone-hacking scandal, which led to the closure of the 168-year-old News of the World in July.

"For me this case was never about money. It was about standing up for myself and finding out what had happened. I owed it to my friends and family as well as myself to do this," said Law, 39.

He said the hacking by the News of the World and its daily sister paper The Sun led him to to suspect friends and family because private information kept appearing in the press when the hacking took place between 2003 and 2006.

"I changed my phones, I had my house swept for bugs but still the information kept being published. I started to become distrustful of people close to me," he added.

"No aspect of my private life was safe from intrusion."

Among the other payouts, Prescott received 40,000 pounds, Law's ex-wife Sadie Frost received 50,000 pounds, Law's personal assistant Ben Jackson received 40,000 pounds, and rugby player Gavin Henson, the ex-husband of singer Charlotte Church, also got 40,000 pounds.

Guy Pelly, a close friend of Prince William and Prince Harry, won 40,000 pounds, while Chelsea and England footballer Cole and Australian singer Minogue won undisclosed settlements.

The victims also included two journalists who worked for other papers in Murdoch's empire.

The judge heard statements read out in court on behalf of 18 of the 36.

Mark Thomson, a lawyer for some of the victims, said the claimants had been "extremely brave to take on and succeed against a massive and influential multinational media organisation."

"They can take the credit for triggering the new police investigation, the parliamentary inquiries and the Leveson Inquiry. They should be very pleased with what they have achieved," he added.

He said the majority of people pursuing damages claims had now settled but that others would press ahead with a trial scheduled for next month.

Mr Murdoch's company apologised to Law in court.

Lawyer Michael Silverleaf said his client offered "sincere and unreserved apologies to the claimant for the damage, as well as the considerable distress caused to him and those close to him."

News International, the British newspaper arm of Murdoch's US-based News Corporation, refused to give any further details on the settlements.

"At the moment we're not commenting at all," a News International spokeswoman said.

The company has set up a multi-million-pound compensation scheme for victims of phone hacking in a bid to avoid further costly civil lawsuits.

Among those it settled with last year were British actress Sienna Miller, Law's ex-girlfriend, and James Hewitt, the former lover of Diana, Princess of Wales.

It has also made a payout of 2 million pounds to the family of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler, while Mr Murdoch made a personal donation of 1 million pounds to charities chosen by her family.

Revelations that the News of the World hacked her phone caused public outrage when they emerged in July last year, turning the long-simmering issue into a major public scandal.

Prime Minister David Cameron launched the Leveson Inquiry into the ethics of the press which has heard from a string of hacking victims and media figures since July.

Police have arrested several people including Andy Coulson, a former News of the World editor and media chief for Mr Cameron, and former News International boss Rebekah Brooks.

Allegations that police were too close to Mr Murdoch's papers also claimed the scalps of Scotland Yard's top officer and another senior policeman. (Credit: Wires)

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"Spider-Man" Broadway producers sue director Taymor - 18th January 2012

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The producers of Broadway's version of "Spider-Man" filed a countersuit against the musical's ousted director Julie Taymor on Tuesday, accusing her of jeopardizing the production by not caring about ticket sales.

The 66-page filing submitted in federal court in New York by producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, accuses Taymor of "developing a dark, disjointed and hallucinogenic musical," and it comes in response to Taylor's lawsuit against them which she filed in November.

After a disastrous start that saw injuries to actors and opening night delays, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" has been packing in audiences on Broadway. It made a record-setting $2.9 million from Christmas to New Year's Day, according to figures from industry website The Broadway League.

The stunt-heavy musical based on Marvel Comics' most famous character, which cost over $70 million to bring to the stage with music by Bono and The Edge, was reworked after Taymor was fired from the production in March 2011.

Taymor, the Tony-winning director of "The Lion King," worked on the musical's original book -- the non-sung words -- before she left the show.

Her copyright infringement lawsuit filed against the "Spider-Man" producers last year argued that, after the show was revamped, the producers continued to make "unauthorized and unlawful use" of her written works.

But attorneys for the producers, in their countersuit filed on Tuesday, stated that Taymor breached her duties to co-write and collaborate on the musical.

"Taymore refused to develop a musical that followed the original, family-friendly 'Spider-Man' story, which was depicted in the Marvel comic books and the hugely successful motion picture trilogy based on them," the lawsuit stated.

"Instead, Taymor, who admits that she was not a fan of the 'Spider-Man' story prior to her involvement with the musical, insisted on developing a dark, disjointed and hallucinogenic musical involving suicide, sex and death."

An attorney for Taymor could not be reached for comment.

Her lawsuit stated she suffered over $1 million in damages.

The countersuit filed by producers on Tuesday brought to light what it described as conflicts between Taymor's creative desires and the show's need to turn a profit.

At one point, Taymor used an expletive to say that she did not care "about audience reaction" to the musical, the lawsuit stated.

"Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" received poor reviews when it opened under Taymor's direction in preview shows in late 2010, and the production suffered cast member injuries in its first weeks.

When it officially opened in June 2011, after Taymor's ouster, critics only warmed slightly to the new show. But audiences, who were drawn in part by the show's sensational publicity, began to make the show a hit.

The musical has grossed over $81 million to date, according to The Broadway League.

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'Amazing Spider-Man,' Batman 'The Dark Knight Rises', 'The Avengers' and 2012 Movie News; Superheros Red Hot, by Greg Tingle

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Hollywood is continuing its lover affair with superhero themes, movie revamps and the like.

So in 2012 we're looking at a bush tucker bag of sequels, prequels, remakes... you name it. The Hollywood studios will be pumping out their best efforts in order to make as much money as they can muster.

Entertainment kingpin Marvel Entertainment are going to be spinning out their “The Amazing Spider-Man”, hitting us hard with "The Avengers" and the Warner Bros. - DC Comics tag-team is going to ink us with the next instalment of Batman - "The Dark Knight Rises".

You've also got fantasy themes with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” More scary stuff with "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2.” Then there's “Men in Black 3.” More Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Incredible Hulk with "The Avengers." And there's the classic “The Three Stooges.”

Add in three action movies based on fairy tales and four 3-D revamps of major blockbusters, and some keenly awaited films, such as “The Hunger Games,” and 2012 might see Hollywood lure back audiences after movie attendance last year sunk to its lowest level since 1995.

Here’s a peek at some of this year’s coming attractions...(US dates)

Nicolas Cage provides a winter warm-up with “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” (Feb. 17), returning as the bounty hunter from hell on a mission to rescue a child from the devil.

“The Avengers” (May 4), teaming Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as the Incredible Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

Next is “The Amazing Spider-Man” (July 3), with Andrew Garfield taking over as Peter Parker in director Marc Webb’s new take on how a mutant spider bite turns a teen into a web-slinging hero.

Christian Bale returns as Batman in “The Dark Knight Rises” (July 20), director Christopher Nolan’s third and final tale of the well to do vigilante with all the cool gadgets. Anne Hathaway joins the cast as Catwoman.

After the late Heath Ledger’s Academy Award-winning performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight,” Nolan went with a lesser-known villain: This time, it’s Bane (Tom Hardy), known to comic-book fans as the brute who breaks Batman’s back and puts him in a wheelchair.

Julia Roberts is the wicked queen to Lily Collins’ Snow White in “Mirror Mirror” (March 16), with the banished heroine raised by dwarfish rogues and leading a battle against the mean old monarch. “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart is the warrior princess in “Snow White and the Huntsman” (June 1), trained by a hunk (“Thor” star Hemsworth) to wage war against her own wicked queen (Charlize Theron).

A magic beanstalk unleashes an army of super-sized warriors in “Jack the Giant Killer” (June 15), starring Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane and Ewan McGregor.

George Lucas begins his sci-fi saga all over, in 3-D, with “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace” (Feb. 10), the first of his six space epics converted to three dimensions.

James Cameron gives the same 3-D treatment to “Titanic” (April 6), whose 3-D version coincides with the 100th anniversary of the luxury liner’s sinking.

Disney follows the success of “The Lion King” in 3-D by adding an extra dimension for reissues of “Beauty and the Beast” (Jan. 13) and the Pixar Animation blockbuster “Finding Nemo” (Sept. 14).

“The Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson returns to J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy realm with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (Dec. 14) the first in his two-part prequel chronicling how Bilbo Baggins came to possess that pesky evil ring.

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2” (Nov. 16) picks up where we left off — with Bella (Kristen Stewart) newly changed into a vampire, while her bloodsucking hubby (Robert Pattinson) and his werewolf rival (Taylor Lautner) aim to defend her against a world of evil.

And more...“Dark Shadows” (May 11), with Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter in director Burton’s take on the vampire TV soap opera; “Prometheus” (June 8), Ridley Scott’s return to his “Alien” sci-fi world with a space adventure starring Theron, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender; “The Woman in Black” (Feb. 3), with “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe as a grieving lawyer who encounters a vengeful ghost; and “World War Z” (Dec. 21), starring Brad Pitt in the story of a worldwide zombie outbreak.

Will Smith’s Agent J travels back in time to save his partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), in “Men in Black 3” (May 25), which reunites both actors with director Barry Sonnenfeld and nicely casts Josh Brolin as the young Agent K.

Other sequels, updates and spinoffs include: “Total Recall” (Aug. 3), with Colin Farrell as a blue-collar guy who learns he might be a deadly super-agent with falsified memories; “The Bourne Legacy” (Aug. 3), with “Avengers” co-star Renner as a new agent caught up in the fallout from the earlier films; and “Taken 2” (Oct. 5), with Neeson going after more bad guys that threaten his family.

Not quite everything in the genre is a sequel or remake. With “Harry Potter” done and “Twilight” nearing its end, a new youthful literary series debuts in “The Hunger Games” (March 23), with Jennifer Lawrence among teens fighting to the death in a televised bloodbath in post-apocalyptic North America.

The knuckleheads are back. Directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly revive Curly (Will Sasso), Larry (Sean Hayes) and Moe (Chris Diamantopoulos) in “The Three Stooges” (April 13).

Other comedy to look out for includes “American Reunion” (April 6), reteaming the “American Pie” gang for a high school reunion; “The Dictator” (May 11), with Sacha Baron Cohen as a Third World tyrant; “This Is 40” (Dec. 21), Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up” offshoot, with Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising their roles as troubled marrieds, and “Ted” (July 13), “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane’s story of a grown man (Mark Wahlberg) saddled for life with a talking teddy bear.

2012 also offers up serious movies that attack the world of politics, war et al. Executive producer George Lucas’ “Red Tails” (Jan. 20) features Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard in the World War II story of black pilots in the Tuskegee Airmen program; “The Great Gatsby” (Dec. 25) stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic about 1920s blue-bloods; “Won’t Back Down” (March 30) casts Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal as mothers aiming to salvage their kids’ inner-city school; and Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” (December) has Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president.

If it sounds like 2012 is going to be a pretty good year for movies, both on an entertainment front (for fans) and business angle (for studios etc), that's because it is. Enjoy.

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Australian Tour; Melbourne Premiere And Sydney Red Carpet

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Vanessa Hudgens (Suckerpunch and High School Musical) and Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Hunger Games) are heading down under to Australia for their new film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

The tour lands the duo in Melbourne first for the world premiere on Sunday the 15th of January before they adventure to Sydney for a red carpet premiere on Tuesday the 17th of January.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island begins when young Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson, reprising his role from the first film) receives a coded distress signal from a mysterious island where no island should exist. It’s a place of strange life forms, mountains of gold, deadly volcanoes, and more than one astonishing secret.

Unable to stop him from going, Sean’s new stepfather, Hank (Dwayne Johnson), joins the quest.

Together with a helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his beautiful, strong-willed daughter (Vanessa Hudgens), they set out to find the island, rescue its lone inhabitant and escape before seismic shockwaves force the island under the sea and bury its treasures forever.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is directed by Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore). It also stars Michael Caine as Sean’s grandfather, Alexander Anderson, and Kristin Davis as Sean’s mum, Liz Anderson.

JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND 3D releases in cinemas nationally on January 19th.

The folks at Village Roadshow (Australia) are well organised and friendly, so the Melbourne and Sydney premiere's are "don't miss" attractions, from both a news media and fan perspective.

The movie tagline is 'Believe the impossible. Discover the incredible.' We suggest you do the same and get yourself to the premiere and the cinema for a journey you won't soon forget.

Director: Brad Peyton
Writers: Brian Gunn (screenplay), Mark Gunn (screenplay)
Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Dwayne Johnson and Michael Caine

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Mad Max to film in Africa; Broken Hill misses out on movie dollars, by Greg Tingle

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Mad Max vehicles have been hidden at Port Kembla and they will soon be sent up to to Africa - the site of the next instalment of the famous movie franchise.

As you would imagine security is extremely high around the vehicles trucked in from Broken Hill for the fourth instalment of the series, but some crafty news media got a few shots at them.

Also in the batch are numerous of Max's own pursuit vehicles, made to resemble the "Interceptor", a souped-up Ford XB GT Falcon coupe driven in the original movie. The amount of these vehicles makes one think Max's car may again end up in a heap, as it did in Mad Max 2: Road Warrior.

The cars are heading up to South Africa, final confirmation that the film has been lost to Australia.

Director George Miller had planned to shoot the new film, Fury Road, near Broken Hill, but there was too much rain last year and the usually dry desert location was covered in flowers and green, and not even cleaver Hollywood - AussieWood computer CGI tricks were going to fool anyone into thinking the location was wasteland worthy of a Max Max return.

Miller revealed that Fury Road will be the first part of a new Mad Max trilogy, with scripts being written for fifth and sixth movies. Scrapping filming will hurt Broken Hill, said the city's mayor, Wincen Cuy. "It's going to affect the community as a whole," he said. "What we've lost is to associate our name to it and any marketing." However, he saw the irony in the fact that the rain the town had prayed for is what did them in. "One man's medicine is another man's poison," Cuy said. "But Broken Hill's had a film industry for 30 years and it will continue."

The film will star Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and Hugh Keays-Byrne.

Other...

The Mad Max franchise refers to a series of futuristic films, taking place in the "Mad Max Universe", that tell a story of breakdown of society, murder, and vengeance. The first Mad Max was an Australian action film directed by George Miller and written by Miller and Byron Kennedy, released in 1979. It produced two sequels, Mad Max 2, also known as The Road Warrior, in 1981 and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985. The series has had a lasting influence on apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction ever since. An animated feature film sequel and video game tie-in are both currently in pre-production, with a predicted release date of 2011 or 2012. In May 2009, it was reported that location scouting was underway for a new live action filming of Mad Max 4: Fury Road.

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James Bond Skyfall Movie Shooting In London

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Funeral scenes from the latest James Bond movie Skyfall were being filmed in London over the weekend.

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was the set for the scenes, which featured eight coffins draped in union flags.

One passer by wrote on Twitter: "Walked past eight hearses with flag draped coffins at the Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College. The funeral scene for the new James Bond."

Ralph Fiennes has confirmed that he will appearing in the new James Bond film.

The actor didn't away too much about his role in the upcoming film but it is believed that M, played by Dame Judi, will be forced to quit and train "agent" Fiennes to take over her position.

Skyfall is due for release on October 26, 2012.

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Paramount Pictures Seek Dismissal of John Singleton's Fraud Case

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Paramount Pictures enjoyed a fantastic 2011, both in Australia, as well as in the United States and other markets.

However, now they seek to rid themselves of an unwelcome legal challenge.

Paramount is looking to dis a $20 million lawsuit brought by American film director John Singleton for allegedly reneging on a promise to back two films as part of a 2005 deal to acquire the breakout hit “Hustle and Flow.”

In response to Singleton’s lawsuit in October, the studio filed a demurrer in November 2011 that aims to demonstrate that even if the facts as laid out in the plaintiff’s complaint are true and correct, it won’t support the allegation that any fraud was committed, according to entertainment news giant The Hollywood Reporter.

“Hustle and Flow” was a hit at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Singleton claims that he passed on a higher advance offered by another studio to accept Paramount’s $9 million offer because the studio promised to “put” two additional features as long as their budgets didn’t exceed $3.5 million each and his producing fee wasn’t higher than 7.5 percent.

The director says that Paramount Pictures reneged on that deal by concocting new conditions on the “puts.” In his lawsuit, Singleton said he needed to make sure he was not taken advantage of and that his rights were protected.

In response, Paramount points to alleged flaws in the lawsuit prepared by Singleton’s attorney, Marty Singer:

“Plaintiffs’ fraud claim fails because it is not supported by a single fact — much less one with the required level of specificity for fraud claims — showing that Paramount or MTV harbored an intention not to perform the put provision at the time of the HAF Agreement’s formation.”

Paramount advised that Singleton can’t simply rely upon the alleged contractual non-performance to show the studio intended to deceive him, and as such, Paramount requests that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismiss the fraud claim.

Similarly, Paramount also wants to dismiss a rescission claim because it partly relies upon the same fraud theory and partly because its contract with Singleton’s company, Crunk Pictures, limits remedies for a breach of contract to monetary damages. (In the lawsuit, Singleton wants money from the exploitation of Hustle and Flow plus a reversion of rights in the picture.)

Paramount Pictures is also seeking to dismiss a claim for unjust enrichment because Paramount says there is no cause of action for this claim in California.

If a judge accepts these arguments, that would leave the dispute turning on a question of how to interpret the main contract between the parties.

From the media reports thus far and public comments about the dispute, it appears that Paramount is prepared to argue that Singleton never produced and delivered two pictures by a Jan. 22, 2010 deadline.

But Singleton suggests that development work on those films was already underway and that there wasn’t any express contractual obligations that the work be completed by that date. According to the original complaint:

“When plaintiffs attempted to exercise their right to ‘put’ the two pictures to Paramount, Paramount for the first time informed Plaintiffs that…the Put Pictures had to be fully completed films rather than films in production, and that the Put Pictures had to be scripted full-length theatrical or direct-to-video motion pictures.”

Absent the fraud claim, the lawsuit becomes a “What came first — the chicken or the egg” controversy. Did Singleton have to complete the two films to get Paramount’s distribution guarantee? Or did Paramount have to guarantee distribution to get Singleton to complete the two films?

Either way, the outcome is unlikely to have any real impact of Paramount Pictures success in Australia.


Paramount Pictures Enjoyed Banner 2011...

In the U.S they totally dominated the box office and knocked off the former global leader Warner Brothers. Paramount's studio has enjoyed more success distributing films via expiring partnerships with Marvel Entertainment / Marvel Studios and Stephen Spielberg's DreamWorks Animation than it has had creating its own in-house franchises.

Let's see... there was “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Paranormal Activity 3,” and these contributed heavily to Paramount's bottom line.

In 2011, Paramount has fielded nine films that have crossed the $100 million barrier in U.S ticket sales, including 2010’s “True Grit,” which snatched the majority of its $250 million worldwide gross in this calendar year.

With $1.73 billion at the U.S box office thus far and two tentpoles in for the end of the year, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin," Paramount ended Warner Brothers' three-year reign at the U.S box office.

And with $2.84 billion in international revenue and $4.6 billion in global receipts to date, Paramount Pictures ended Warner's international and worldwide leading streaks.

"Going into the summer, we certainly felt like we had a number of big tentpole movies, and on balance, they all delivered,” said Don Harris, Paramount's president of domestic (U.S) theatrical distribution. “They all opened at high numbers."

But get this. There's an imminent departure of partners Marvel and DreamWorks Animation, the team behind such recent winners as “Thor,” "Captain America: The First Avenger," “Kung Fu Panda 2” and "Puss in Boots."

Combined, those films comprised four of Paramount's top five grossing movies this year.

Paramount gets distribution fees from DreamWorks Animation and Marvel, but it doesn’t own the rights to the superhero and family films.

Paramount's deal to distribute Marvel films has ended, and its deal with DreamWorks Animation expires in 2012. Though Paramount received an 8 percent distribution fee for its efforts with the two studios, the departure of Marvel and DreamWorks Animation will take a big chunk out of the studio’s market share.

Emboldened by the average success of “Rango” ($245 million), Paramount recently launched its own animation division with an eye toward owning the family films it distributes outright. It expects to release its first film through via the new arm in 2014.

The DreamWorks deal was relatively low-risk and good money.

Paramount appears to believe hat after a number of years of serving as a distribution house for other companies, it has developed enough of its own intellectual property to move forward without the comic book based company and the animation studio.

It's hoping that Pixar whiz Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”) can reinvigorate its “Mission: Impossible” franchise after 2006’s disappointing third installment, and it already successfully rebooted the wilting “Star Trek” franchise. A sequel to its hit 2009 "Trek" film is due out in two years.

"Transformers” - "Dark of the Moon" grossed $1.1 billion worldwide and was more positively embraced than its predecessor.

Paramount Pictures has enjoyed a burst of lower budget successes, adding to their whale size film portfolio.

Created for a cost of a modest $13 million, the studio’s Justin Bieber concert film “Never Say Never,” took in nearly $100 million worldwide. Likewise, “Paranormal Activity 3” continued the ultra-low budget series’ knack for healthy profit margins. Produced for a tiny $5 million, the haunted house film clocked up $201.9 million worldwide.

Almost everything Paramount Pictures touched turned to gold. The big write-off would be "Hugo", with a budget of $170 million and grossing just $33 million globally. Let it be noted that Paramount only distributed the film and this means that the dip falls on the head of producer Graham King.

The remake of '80s dance film “Footloose” failed to bring in audiences. The $24 million film snatched a $62 million worldwide gross, which is well below par for Paramount.

What's in Paramount's future? Paramount appears unlikely to duplicate its record breaking success in 2012 at the box office. The studio expects big things for its zombie flick "World War Z" with Brad Pitt and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” but appears that's not comic book films in the works to excel this years numbers.

Take note that in the 2012 more of the films that Paramount Pictures releases are owned by them. This means that the studio will be able to keep more of the profits for themselves, but that appears to be a higher risk strategy than the one they employed this year.

Paramount will survive, no doubt, but it may be more of a stock market - roller-coaster type ride than the relatively smooth sailing they enjoyed over the past 12 months.

See you at the movies.

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Movie Box Office News: Tom Cruise leads US box office for 2011

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Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible movie held on to the top of box office charts over New Year's weekend as Hollywood said see ya to a slow-ish year at movie theatres.

As 2011 ended, US and Canadian revenue dipped from last year and attendance slumped to its lowest level since 1995.

Most industry commentators including the Media Man agency put the low numbers down to the struggling economy, with many movie fans staying at home watching commercial or pay TV, and getting the occasional DVD new release to satisfy their new release fix. Movie lovers also satisfied their entertainment desires with internet use and a range of handheld devices.

The year's final weekend saw top movies add to ticket sales from the Christmas holiday one week earlier but no change in the top three chart positions.

The Sherlock Holmes and Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise films took the second and third positions behind Cruise's Mission: Impossible.

From Friday through to Monday, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol netted in an estimated $US38.3 million at US and Canadian theatres, distributor Paramount Pictures advised.

The movie that features the 49-year-old Cruise as special agent Ethan Hunt hanging off the world's tallest building has grossed $US366.5 million globally.

Of that, $US225.3 million has come from international markets, affirming Cruise's place as a solid performer for global audiences and cementing a strong year for Paramount Pictures.

Rocketed along by the third Transformers film, Paramount's movies grossed nearly $US5.2 billion worldwide, the studio said. The total included nearly $US2 billion at U.S theatres and a record $US3.2 billion internationally.

No new movies were released nationwide over the weekend.

In second place, detective sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows grossed $US26.5 million over four days. Third place belonged to family film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, which pulled in $US21 million.

Rounding out the top five, Steven Spielberg's family film War Horse galloped into fourth with $US19.2 million, and thriller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo pulled in $US19 million.

Elsewhere, The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep in a critically praised performance as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, opened strong with $US280,409 from just four theatres. That's a massive per-screen average of $US70,102, nearly three times higher than the next-closest movie.

U.S ticket sales for all films rose 10 per cent from the same weekend a year ago, but the strong finish could not lift yearly revenues in line with 2010.

U.S revenue for 2011 fell 3.4 per cent to $US10.2 billion, the second-straight yearly decline, according to estimates from Hollywood.com. More troubling for studios and theatre chains is that attendance dropped 4.2 per cent to 1.3 billion, the lowest pace since 1995.

Commentators typically peg low turnout on unappealing movies, but this year studio executives and industry experts have said other factors may be dampening sales. They cite the weak economy and competition from mobile devices, social networking, video games and a range of other entertainment options.

This year also was measured against early 2010 results from Avatar, the top-grossing movie of all time with $US760 million at U.S and $US2 billion at international box offices.

"A confluence of factors contributed to the downturn," said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

The coming year, with a large slate of promising titles, "will be a very pivotal year. It will tell us, is it really just the product, or is something bigger going on," he said.

But the year ended on a positive theme. The final week of the 2011 ranked as the year's second highest with domestic sales of more than $US350 million, said Chris Aronson, senior vice-president for domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox.

"It's not all doom and gloom," he said. "We just had a sensational week of movie-going."

Executives also note global ticket sales remain healthy with several of 2011's biggest titles seeing the bulk of sales from international markets, much like Mission: Impossible.

Looking forward, Hollywood aka Tinsel Town is counting on a packed line-up of big-budget action movies and sequels to bring crowds back in 2012.

The offering will include Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises, superhero flick The Avengers, young-adult book adaptation The Hunger Games and the first of two Hobbit movies.

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Cruise rings in New Year at top of box office - 2nd January 2012

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Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol has topped the North American box office for a second straight weekend, ringing in the New Year with $US30 million in ticket sales.

The action film, the fourth in the series, thus far has taken in $US133 million, according to estimates from Exhibitor Relations.

In second place was Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, a sequel to the 2009 film about the detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It took in $US22.1 million in the third week since its release.

In third place with $US18.3 million was Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, the third animated film about the singing critters.

Fourth place went to Steven Spielberg's War Horse, about the bond between a boy and his horse during World War I, which was expected to reap $US16.9 million.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - the Hollywood adaptation of the wildly popular Stieg Larsson novel, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara - took in $US16.3 million for fifth place.

Family film We Bought A Zoo starring Matt Damon finished in sixth place, taking in $US14.3 million.

Another Spielberg film, The Adventures of Tintin, about an intrepid Belgian boy reporter, was seventh with $US12 million.

Star-studded holiday romance New Year's Eve earned $US6.7 million for eighth place, while thriller The Darkest Hour took ninth place with $US4.3 million.

Rounding out the top 10 was The Descendants starring George Clooney, which grossed $US3.7 million.

Final figures are due out tomorrow after the four-day New Year's holiday weekend in the US.

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Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgård Talk Marvel Entertainment - The Avengers

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News items with Marvel's upcoming superhero movie The Avengers has been pretty slow ever since the first trailer was released last October, leaving Marvel, and parent company Disney, to keep The Avengers in the public domain by recently announcing that the flick would be released in 3-D - a fact that many insiders knew since the commencement of production was announced in April). Writer-director Joss Whedon responded by publicly stating that the movie won't be "obnoxiously 3-D".

Avengers actors are talking to numerous press about other movies they will also be seen in. While discussing the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård (who ironically did not appear in the 2009 Swedish adaptation) discussed his return in The Avengers as Erik Selvig, the character he portrayed in Thor, in an interview with Moviefone. After his appearance in the post-credits scene in Thor.

Plot...

Nick Fury and the international agency S.H.I.E.L.D. bring together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki & his various membered army.

Director: Joss Whedon

Writer: Joss Whedon

Actors: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Clark Gregg, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard

Producers: Avi Arad (executive), Jon Favreau (executive), Kevin Feige and Stan Lee (executive)

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