NBC & CBS Late-Evening Lineups Reduced Premiere Week, ABC Growing

Nine in the past, ABC brass required to dump Nightline for David Letterman. Boy, aren’t today’s bigwigs in the organization happy that didn’t happen. The veteran ABC newsmagazine beat both CBS’ Late Show With David Letterman and NBC’s The Tonight Show With Jay Leno among grownups 18-49 throughout premiere week the first time ever. Nightline, which airs from 11:35 PM-evening time, saw its audience grow 7% versus. last fall to 3.9 million. In grownups 19-49, it averaged 1.3 million, despite a year ago. Its companion, Because Of Due To Jimmy Kimmel Live appeared to become strong in the gate, drawing its second-greatest premiere week audience ever (1.8 million) and 790,000 grownups 18-49, up 5%. In comparison, NBC’s Tonight Show With Jay Leno and CBS’ Late Show With David Letterman were neck-and-neck in 18-49 (1.07 million versus. 1.05 million) but both lower double-amounts, 20% (Leno) and 16% (Letterman). In general audiences, Leno (3.6 000 0000) was off by 4%, Letterman (3.2 million) by 15%. CBS’ ratings declines moved towards the 12:35 AM shows. Somewhat remarkably, NBC’s youthful-skewingLate Evening With Jimmy Fallon, which has stood a great year designated having a first best music/comedy/variety series Emmy nomination, was lower 16% in 18-49 to 695,000. CBS’Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (607,000) was lower an even more modest 7%. NBC was hurt having a weakened prime time lead-in heading into local news. The network averaged a few demo rating inside the 10:30 half-hour the other day, versus. a few.7 for ABC and CBS.

'What's Your Number' Star Anna Faris on Female Comedies, Strip Basketball and 'The Dictator'

Before Kristen Wiig and her friendly bridesmaids stormed el born area office this summer season making Hollywood realize that women are actually really funny and bankable, Anna Faris was organized since the beacon of female comics. As Tad Friend written within the profile of Faris for your NYer (which printed pre-'Bridesmaids'), "What's at risk [for female comics] is not essentially a tenable sell for 'hard' female comedies but a completely new vantage on romance and, possibly, a completely new approach to seeing males and girls.In . That fresh way may be something such as 'What's Your Number?' Inside the R-rated romcom, Faris stars as Ally, discovered a bag Boston lady moving through existence and sexual partners. When she reads in the magazine that girls who've had greater than 20 sexual encounters are condemned with a information on singlehood, she looks back on her behalf account past associations while using about discovering that clear on her rejected fanatics really was "The Primary One.Inch If possibly her handsome and charming neighbor (Chris Evans) doesn't throw a monkeywrench in Ally's plans first. It's a premise that's ripe for slut-shaming and judgment, but 'What's Your Number?' handles to prevent that -- although delivering Faris with ample options to curse, drink and fall on her behalf account face like Zach Galifianakis in 'The Hangover.' Moviefone spoke to Faris now in regards to the new film, whether she will get an obligation to her gender, and what you should expect from 'The Dictator' with Sacha Baron Cohen next summer season. Using the wealth of 'Bridesmaids' and 'Bad Teacher' this summer season, it feels as if 'What's Your Number?' has been launched inside a perfect instant. You think audiences have lately recognized that comedy might be gender neutral? I have to think that. For this type of very long time it absolutely was completely uncommon to produce an R-rated female comedy. Once I would pitch projects on an outing that was always the fundamental question: "Can it be R-rated? We gotta ensure it is PG-13." So, it's been an extremely exciting summer season. In my opinion my female buddies and myself when 'Bridesmaids' succeeded well, and 'Bad Teacher,' were very excited. I like play women that are untidy. Problematic. In my opinion that's much more interesting than playing a sort-A girl. Once the art galleries always shoot lower R-rated female comedies, how did 'What's Your Number?' even happen? It felt really rare! It felt really special. We shot it last summer season, prior to the success, and so the risk factor felt high. I had been really lucky that New Regency am encouraging, nevertheless the script happen to be kicking around for just about any few years, plus it was always like, "We feel it's funny, but that is dangerous!" It's clearly a sizable coincidence -- which i personally don't like to even go up -- nevertheless the opening scene of 'What's Your Number?' is similar to the opening scene of 'Bridesmaids.' If you saw which more than the summer season had you been like, "Oh, garbage." Yeah! I used to be! I used to be like, "Oh, no! It's surprising it!" Of all the jokes... I realize! I realize! Are there any discussions about maybe changing that in publish-production? No, I don't believe that might be a conversation. It absolutely was like, "Well, okay. Bad.Inch You're a producer on House Bunny now this -- can you look for something more important when you're choosing scripts that you'll also produce? Not always. I appear like I'm this kind of problematic person, so I enjoy play figures that are untidy. I love to experience figures that asexual In my opinion that's very fun, but that rarely happens! This can be a tough anyone to accomplish. I'd rather not function as balance card for the funny guy, The most effective to see figures that have dimensions. I don't care if they're unintelligent, as extended simply because they have dimensions. Both 'House Bunny' and 'What's Your Number?' have strong female figures together with a note underneath all the pratfalls and swears. Just like a female comedian, sometimes you may feel any responsibility o uphold some feminist ideals along with your work -- especially because you've got a large amount of female fans? I have an obligation to my gender! (Laughs) It'll appear silly. It is not like people request Ben Stiller if he feels obligated to fresh fresh paint males within an positive light onscreen. Though female artists, it's certainly lawyer point. Yeah, but this is why there's this sort of feeling of oneness, a little, with female comics. There's lots of support readily available for each other. I believe that it is because we are trying to find the Apatow response we wish our crew of funny individuals who we could cast. You realize when you're acting with another lady, like Ari Graynor or my female buddies inside the movie, how rare you really achieve perform together with other women. It's this kind of relief sometimes, but it's unfortunate it's so rare. Because In my opinion women -- people want to see interesting dynamics with people. The conversation is really loaded: it's good that female-introduced comedies prosper, but it's unfortunate the success remains this type of anomaly it'll get mentioned. The simple truth is! It'll always appear like gender is certainly part of a the main one factor. "Oh, you're funny... for just about any lady." That's kind of discouraging. But also for me -- I've discussed this in other interviews -- I wasn't funny becoming an adult. And so the whole journey is a touch bizarre, however i am really grateful that we achieve do comedy, which i wouldn't trade it for your world. I've be considered a more comfortable person because of it. It's introduced me plenty of pleasure. I used to be very angry. Not to belabor the gender areas of 'What's Your Number?' nevertheless it was nice that Ally wasn't really slut-wiped out by her pals to get plenty of sexual partners. She was harder on herself than almost others. Was that something you actually tight on? It's so funny because the authors which i were enjoy, "20 is kind of low. It must be like 70." The studio didn't agree. Remarkably! (Laughs) Nevertheless the message in the movie is it shouldn't matter I don't think anybody needs to be passing moral judgement on one another. They're modern women in the modern a while and I don't think that for an individual in their early 30s, I don't think that 20 is just too bad if you were single. Your husband Chris Pratt features a nice little runner in 'What's Your Number?' Perhaps you have enjoy coping with him? It absolutely was totally terrifying. We'd an enjoyable experience, however admire him a great deal that we actually was nervous. "Let us say he thinks I'm a terrible actor? So what can i actually do? Could he separate with me at night?In . However love coping with him which i really hope we have to make it happen again eventually. There is a significant role in 'Moneyball,' clearly. Do everybody have kind of wager about which film can do better laminator tl901 office a couple of days ago? I'm prone to kill him if 'Moneyball' beats me. (Laughs) No, I have simply no clue what will happen. Once your movie opens it definitely is terrifying. I used to be like, "Should we just disappear for your weekend. Just type of escape. No internet, no newspapers." However I must leave for Australia -- we're doing press australia wide in the last weekend. I guess which is an acceptable escape. 15 several hours around the flight. Not to spoil anything, there's however a strip basketball sequence in 'What's Your Number?' which has you schooling Chris Evans' character. Are you currently presently so good or was there plenty of movie miracle completed for the reason that scene? I am so bad at basketball. I did so make like two shots nevertheless it needed several hours. Several hours of failure. It's so embarrassing. Then you definitely certainly get nervous as well as the males are poking fun to you because you throw as being a girl or whatever. Therefore I had these fired. (Laughs) But that was frightening... after which it you're within your under clothes, too! Why did Someone said this and think, "OK, this is just what If only to doInch? The thing that was more frightening: the basketball or becoming half-naked? In my opinion really playing the basketball. Certainly. But it is certainly uncomfortable to remain in your under clothes before 300 crew people you have been coping with for just two-and-a-half several days. I realize you've got a number of projects at Vital [an untitled stalker comedy pitch and 'Gold Diggers'], but exactlty what can you say about 'The Dictator' with Sacha Baron Cohen? I am the lady for that reason that certain. It absolutely was amazing. The whole factor. Sacha Baron Cohen can be a comedy genius. The whole factor is improv. It's challenging! You have to be inside your game, but it's also amazing to get familiar with also to witness. That was unlike almost every other filming experience I've ever suffered. From the reading through using that many stars were up for your role. Any idea what placed you over? In my opinion they did undergo plenty of stars. In my opinion they just preferred to obtain somebody that -- I am unsure, really. I am unsure why they selected me. But, that was my first audition in the very very long time plus it was all improv and very thrilling and one hundred percent terrifying. It absolutely was filled with awkward tales. I used to be so lame. I did so the whole cliche actress factor. Oh, terrible (laughs). Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

What's Your Number?

Chris Evans and Anna Faris star in "What's Your Number?" A 20th Century Fox release of a Regency Enterprises presentation of a New Regency/Contrafilm production. Produced by Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson. Executive producers, Arnon Milchan, Anna Faris, Nan Morales. Directed by Mark Mylod. Screenplay, Gabrielle Allan, Jennifer Crittenden, based on the book "20 Times a Lady" by Karyn Bosnak.Ally Darling - Anna Faris Colin Shea - Chris Evans Daisy Darling - Ari Graynor Jake Adams - Dave Annable Roger the Boss - Joel McHale Mr. Darling - Ed Begley Jr. Ava Darling - Blythe DannerIt's never a good sign when the funniest line in your romantic comedy is, "Did you visit the Holocaust museum?" and has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Such is the case with "What's Your Number?," a draggy, generally laugh-free outing that wastes a perfectly good Anna Faris, here playing a spacy sexpot who decides, after having slept with 20 different guys, that it's probably time to settle down. With Chris Evans cast as an all-too-obvious Mr. Right, this inane I'll-never-be-slutty-again farce should post OK theatrical and homevid numbers for Fox. Ditched by her latest fling (Zachary Quinto) about five minutes after the opening credits, Ally Darling (Faris) is a boozy Boston blonde whose dating standards have plunged lower than her neckline. When she reads a magazine article about how the average American woman has 10.5 lovers over her lifetime, Ally realizes she's slept with nearly twice that number and is in danger of making herself unmarriageable. That she's recently lost her job and has no apparent interests beyond making clay-figurine dioramas doesn't improve her prospects. Resolving to stop fooling around and find a husband, Ally decides to look up her ex-boyfriends, one by one, in hopes of rekindling an old flame without raising her number to 21. Helping her with some detective work is her neighbor Colin (Evans), a laid-back guitarist and serial womanizer who's clearly hot for Ally himself, though she's wary of hooking up with someone even more whorish than she is. So begins a series of mirthless wild-goose chases as Colin helps Ally stalk her exes across the country. One of them (Chris Pratt) seems to have shed a few hundred pounds and is now engaged to a sexy engineer; another (Anthony Mackie) asks her to marry him for the least romantic possible reasons. She steers clear of the more nightmarish suitors, who are relegated to flashbacks. Ally's clearly wasting her time, and the viewer may come to feel likewise. Unable to build or sustain comic situations, Gabrielle Allan and Jennifer Crittenden's script (adapted from Karyn Bosnak's novel "20 Times a Lady") resorts to jokes so random and context-free they almost qualify as non sequiturs, cueing viewers to laugh when a bit player turns out to be a compulsive finger-sniffer or when Ally's hair catches fire for no reason. Less vulgar and over-the-top than some of the year's other R-rated comedies, "Number" riffs on the pitfalls of promiscuity en route to a predictably safe, sweet, pro-commitment happy ending. Viewers will get their fill of coy near-nudity and genital-centric one-liners, but none of the sophistication or honesty about gender-based double standards they might reasonably expect from such a scenario. Pic does bear a vague resemblance to recent summer hit "Bridesmaids" in the way it uses an upcoming wedding (that of Ally's sister, nicely played by Ari Graynor) to zero in on a single gal's early-midlife funk, but its portrait of distaff distress is nowhere near as insightful or funny. A superior comic actress whose talents have been better showcased elsewhere, Faris works little of her usual magic here, largely because the film essentially shares Ally's dim opinion of herself. There's no secret-weapon intelligence or killer timing behind Faris' ditzy veneer this time; she really is just playing a dumb blonde who can't hold her liquor. Evans' nice smile and nicer muscles get the job done, and Blythe Danner and Ed Begley Jr. submit OK turns as Ally's divorced parents. Glossily helmed by Mark Mylod ("Ali G Indahouse") and crammed with tiresome pop-slathered montages, "Number" also teems with references to Facebook and Twitter that are meant to show how up-to-the-minute the film is, but will have the effect of dating it instantly.Camera (color, Deluxe prints), J. Michael Muro; editor, Julie Monroe; music, Aaron Zigman; music supervisor, Julia Michels; production designer, Jon Billington; art director, David Swayze; set decorator, Denise Pizzini; costume designer, Amy Westcott; sound (Dolby/DTS), David J. Schwartz; supervising sound editors, Karen Baker Landers, Per Hallberg; re-recording mixers, Joe Barnett, Mathew Waters; special effects coordinator, John Ruggieri; visual effects supervisor, Dottie Starling; stunt coordinators, G.A. Aguilar, Stephen Pope; casting, Kathleen Chopin. Reviewed at Fox Studios, Los Angeles, Sept. 27, 2011. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 106 MIN.With: Heather Burns, Eliza Coupe, Kate Simses, Tika Sumpter, Zachary Quinto, Chris Pratt, Anthony Mackie. Contact Justin Chang at justin.chang@variety.com

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Valencia's Mostra fest axed

BARCELONA -- Inside the most dramatic film-sector budget cut so far in deficit-done sit ups The nation, Valencia's regional government has attracted the plug round the Valencia Action and Adventure Film Festival, generally known to as Valencia Mostra. Decision was introduced Wednesday by Valencia's mayor, Rita Barbera. "The Mostra will probably be suspended for an additional years, no less than before economy can get better," Barbera mentioned. The Mostra was launched in 1980 becoming an artfilm fest devoted to cinema production within the Mediterranean rim. Carrying out a curler-coaster existence with multiple changes of director, the Mostra had came out to discover a new existence under director Salomon Castiel. It re-named last October becoming an action and adventure fest, leading to more interest and attendance among residents. In June, Valencia's debt was thought at 20.5 billion ($27.9 billion) with the Banco p Espana. Fest's $2.3 million budget was almost entirely trained in Valencia Town Hall. New Valencia regional topper Alberto Fabra who, like Barbera, would go to Spain's conservative Popular Party, introduced stringent cuts to Valencia's public budget within this summer time. (John Hopewell brought with this report.) Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Move Over, Mel Gibson: New Judah Maccabee Project in the Works (Exclusive)

APIC/Getty Images The war for Hanukkah is on. Or Hollywood's version of it anyway. Producer Bruce Nash (Modern Marvels) is pulling together a version of the Hanukkah origin story for a potential feature or TV miniseries.News of the project comes just three weeks afterWarner Bros. acknowledgedthat it is developing a Judah Maccabee/Hanukkahmovie with actor-writer-directorMel GibsonandBasic InstinctscreenwriterJoe Eszterhas. Gibson's involvement in the WB projectas a producer (and possible star and/or director) provokedimmediate recriminationsfrom some in the Jewish community because of his record of making anti-Semitic remarks.The Hanukkah story is a pillar of Jewish history and describes the successful rebellion that liberated the Second Temple in Jerusalem from the Greek occupierAntiochus. Judah Maccabee, who became known as "The Hammer" after leading the fight,instituted Hanukkah -- the "Festival of Lights" -- to celebrate the triumph. Jewish leadersstrongly indicated their displeasurewith Gibson's desire to appropriate such a treasured cultural milestone. That antipathy could provide an advantage for Nash's project, which, unlike the Gibson effort, already has a finished script byScott Abbott, who wrote the HBO movieWinchelland co-wroteIntroducing Dorothy Dandridgefor the cable network. Nash andBob Kosbergwould produce along withMaura Dunbarof Odyssey Networks, where Nash originally developed the project and which provided initial financing. While Christmas has been represented extensively in TV and film -- most recently in theCatherine Hardwicke-directedThe Nativity Story-- Hanukkah has yet to claim its own holiday classic. The Nash-Abbott version is clearly counting on the support of those in the industry who want to provide a take on Hanukkah that doesn't involve Gibson -- or his eight crazy nights. Email: Jay.Fernandez@thr.com Mel Gibson Warner Bros.

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Watch a Rubber Ducky Get Murdered in David Lynch's Vienna Film Festival Trailer

We expect David Lynch to do weird things -- he is David Lynch, after all. And yet, the man still manages to always outdo himself. Take for instance this trailer for the Vienna International Film Festival, which Lynch directed. As with most of his projects, this thing borders on the absurd: It starts with a man holding rocks, then there's a voiceover asking how many rocks the man is holding, then there is a rubber ducky and ... you know what? Describing this thing is pointless. Just watch the clip below and you'll see what we're talking about. [via indieWIRE] Image courtesy of Getty Images

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Fox Buys Teen Spy Drama With Penalty

EXCLUSIVE: Fox has purchased a CIA drama from Karyn Usher (The Playboy Club) inside a script deal which has a significant penalty mounted on it. The project, a procedural thriller dedicated to the orphaned 17-year-old daughter of the CIA operative who's employed being an operative herself, has been created by twentieth century Fox TV and Mary Adelstein and Shawn Levy’s studio-based 21 Laps/Adelstein Prods. Usher, Adelstein, Levy and Becky Clements are executive creating. Adelstein contacted Usher, who is also under a general deal at 20th TV, using the idea for that project to discover that they have been considering an identical idea. This is actually the duo’s third project together. Adelstein first met Usher around the Fox/20th TV drama Prison Break, which Adelstein executive created as well as on which WME-repped Usher began off like a co-producer andeventually roseto co-executive producer. The 2 later created a U.S. version from the British format Daylight Robbery. 21 Laps/Adelstein, that has the Tim Allen ABC comedy Last Guy Standing starting the following month, has offered a slew of projects this year. They includea Romancing the Stone adaptation composed by Mark Friedman to NBC, a medical dramedy compiled by Jessica Queller, ensemble comedy Gorilla Time composed by Stacy Traub & Hayes Jackson and family comedy Threepete compiled by Carter Covington to Fox.

Inside the Emmy Arms Race

Actresses can conceal their bellies and thighs under well-fitting gowns, not to mention Spanx. But arms that are pale, skinny or, God forbid, loose, have nowhere to hide, especially since Hollywood equates sexy with no sleeves these days. Now more than ever, the skin with the most red-carpet exposure is around the shoulders, upper arms, the underarm area, even "bra fat" -- all on display under glaring HDTV.our editor recommendsEmmy Roundtable: Why Julianna Margulies Turns Down Movie Roles (Video)Ashton Kutcher, Julianna Marguiles Tapped as Emmy PresentersRelated Topics•Emmys 2011 The Angela Bassett muscly-arm model doesn't look right in evening gowns. Thankfully, that moment has passed -- as have stick-thin limbs a la Lindsay Lohan. Yet stringy Madonna-like yoga arms don't look right, either, since Michelle Obama's ripples are burned into our consciousness. Yes, there are actually trends in arms. Happily, it's now somewhere in the middle: Ladies with sculpted-but-feminine shape like Julianna Margulies, Tina Fey and Mariska Hargitay are examples of healthy arm candy. PHOTOS: 2011 Emmy Nominees To get the look, even those who have been shooting night and day can pull it together fast. Trainers insist even two weeks of work make a difference. First, forget about the myth that weights bulk up arms. "Weights make your arms firmer and leaner as long as you watch your diet," says celebrity trainer Ashley Borden. "Two weeks before a red carpet, use a heavier free weight. Triceps on the bottom of arms collect the most body fat, so for every push-up exercise, do two pulldowns." But for women genetically predisposed to putting on muscle, trainer David Kirsch prefers workout bands. "I would have most clients elongate rather than bulk up." Trainer Ramona Braganza also likes shoulder accentuation. "Square shoulders are sexy and athletic at the same time," she says. "I worked with Anne Hathaway a few years back, weeks before the Oscars. We did super sets, one exercise after another on the same muscle." And designers will tell you that good shoulders help a dress hang well and can make the waist and hips seem slimmer. Adds Borden: "Most people have 'forward pull' from leaning shoulders forward, which causes bra fat near your boobs. Working your shoulders helps." PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of THR's Emmy Icon Shoots It's hard to believe diet affects arm appearance, but it does. "Kill the Diet Coke and alcohol two weeks before," Borden warns. "Sodium bloats your arms." If there's no time for workouts, there are other things to resort to, like lasers. "The Titan laser will decrease arm circumference in two treatments," says Beverly Hills dermatologist Peter Kopelson. "You can do it day-of for immediate tightening. Women should also be using lotion with glycolic acid to improve elasticity and texture." To render a supernova glow to arms, dermatologist David Colbert performs full-body treatments featuring microdermabrasion, milk acid, glucosamine and laser pulse. PHOTOS: David Strick's Emmy Nominee Portraits With a little more notice, to combat loose skin, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Randal Haworth is in favor of a brachioplasty, an arm lift. "With a small incision in the armpit, you can take in the skin all the way to the elbow," he says. Another option is spot liposuction. "Aggressive exercise will help, but not in two weeks. Lipo will do it in two hours," adds Haworth. There's a faster, less-expensive remedy: sleeves. Stylist Simone Harouche loves gowns with sleeves. "When done right," she says, "it can be chic, modern. Nicole Richie wore a gown with kimono sleeves to the 2010 Oscars." "Actresses think only strapless is sexy," says designer Nicole Miller. "An off-the-shoulder style works really well. It's true; it's hard to make a long-sleeved gown sexy. But if you have dramatic sleeves, it's extremely stylish. After all, the bigger the sleeve, the smaller the arm." Related Topics Emmy Awards Julianna Margulies Mariska Hargitay Tina Fey Angela Bassett Emmys 2011

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Starz Sets Andy Whitfield Tribute

Starz pays tribute to former Spartacus star Andy Whitfield, who died of cancer last Sunday. The tribute, that will air this Sunday at 9 PM, includes five episodes ofSpartacus: Bloodstream and Sand, such as the premiere and finale episodes. The network is placed to re-air the whole first season of Spartacus: Bloodstream and Sand starring Whitfield beginning on 12 ,. 16.

Ringer: TV Review

It was probably best for all involved that CBS passed on the drama Ringer, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, allowing sister network The CW a chance to pick up a fully formed drama with designs on intrigue if not gravitas.our editor recommends'Ringer' Sneak Peeks: Sarah Michelle Gellar Returns Twice (Video)'Ringer': 'Veronica Mars' Star Jason Dohring Lands Recurring RoleFall TV's 12 Most Anticipated Shows'Ringer's' Sarah Michelle Gellar Explains Her Return to TV: 'I Missed it' It makes a lot of sense. Gellar might have elicited shrugs from the CBS demo, and, to be straight, might not have had enough heft as an actress to make that network's audience really care. But on The CW, Gellar is, of course, Buffy. So why not? In the realm of The CW's acting lineup, Gellar is pretty much Helen Mirren. PHOTOS: 'Ringer': First Look at The CW's Dark Drama Although she often looks like a frail, wet cat inRinger, compared to everyone else in the hyper-young-female world of The CW, she's projecting gravitas. And the series itself, despite a number of flaws, might be something fans of The CW and its warren of rich gossip girls, vampires, witches and models can view as highbrow fare. Ringeris about twins, both played by Gellar. We first meet Bridget, a stripper and drug abuser from Wyoming, while she's at an NA meeting. She winds up in the Hamptons, where her twin sister, Siobhan, has invited her for a visit. Of course, Siobhan has not told her millionaire British husband she has a sister. Once Bridget reacquaints herself with her posh sister, they go for a boat ride. Bridget wakes up to find Siobhan gone, presumably having killed herself. Seeing an opening, Bridget decides to become Siobhan. PHOTOS: The CW's New Shows If you're in the writers room, you can have a lot of fun with Ringer. But the pilot doesn't waste time getting to the major complications of Bridget's big lie. Turns out Siobhan was into a lot of bad things. So much for the grass being greener in the Hamptons. The downside toRingeris that unless you're weaned on The CW's fare, it really doesn't have a lot of weight, and Gellar seems stretched a bit thin playing dual roles. InBuffy, she was a major ass-kicker with a smart-aleck streak. InRinger, she's called on to be mysterious, both downbeat as Bridget and high-class as Siobhan, but ends up looking confused and meek. It hardly lends confidence that she's capable of being the cornerstone of such a show. PHOTOS: Fall TV Season 2011: The New Shows Give it a few episodes and see if Gellar has the range to be a dramatic magnet. If it turns out you'd rather see her driving a stake into vampires, thenRingerwill be a show that didn't work on two networks, and you'll know what to do about that. Airdate: 9 p.m. Sept. 13 (the CW) Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kristoffer Polaha, Ioan Gruffudd, Nestor Carbonell Executive Producers: Pam Veasey, Peter Traugott Director: Richard Shepard Email:Tim.Goodman@THR.com Twitter: BastardMachine The CW Ringer Sarah Michelle Gellar Fall TV Preview

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Box Office Report: Steven Soderbergh's 'Contagion' Winning Weekend Race

TORONTO --Steven Soderbergh's thriller Contagion opened up to No. 1 in the domestic box office Friday by having an believed $8 million, while Disney's The Assistance locked in strong at No. 2.our editor recommendsContagion: Venice Film ReviewWarrior: Film ReviewThe Help: Film ReviewBucky Larson: Born to become a Star: Film ReviewRelated Subjects•Box Office Otherwise, this news ranged from so-to harsh.The film clients are searching at worst weekend of the season when it comes to revenues, which might only hit $70 million. PHOTOS: Helpful tips for Fake Film Illnesses Lionsgate's mma drama Warrior made an believed $1.8 million in the first day in the future in No. 3 and it is now searching in a lower-than-expected weekend debut of $5 million to $5.5 million. Simultaneously, the film -- starring Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton and Tom Sturdy -- is drawing strong reviews and came a b CinemaScore, portending good word-of-mouth. Sony's comedy Bucky Larson: Born to become a Star, created by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison, is a brand-out explosive device, generating a dismal $540,000 on Friday to fall outdoors from the top ten. Oddly, the pic received a b - CinemaScore. PHOTOS: Movie Report Card: 10 Greatest Flops of 2011 (To Date) Warner Bros. and Participant Media's Contagion, starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law,Laurence Fisburne and Kate Winslet together of CDC doctors attempting to stop an international viral epidemic, should easily win the weekend race with $20 million to $22 million. The pic received a b -- CinemaScore, using more than 80% from the audience older than 25. DreamWorks' The Assistance -- also co-funded by Participant -- should gross around $9 million, pushing its domestic total to almost $140 million. Contagion knocks the film in the No. 1 place in the domestic box office following a three-week rule. STORY: Summer time Box Office: The Ten Greatest Flops of 2011 Focus Features' Your Debt is taking pleasure in a powerful hold in the second weekend, grossing an believed $1.4 million on Friday for any cume of $18.5 million. The Helen Mirren thriller, arriving at No. 4, is anticipated to gross roughly $4.5 for that weekend. Sony's Zoe Saldana action pic Colombiana is holding within the No. 5 position, grossing an believed $1.two million for any domestic cume of $26.9 million. Shark Evening three dimensional and Apollo 18both saw steep drops within the their second weekends. Shark Evening placed No. 7 on Friday, falling 64% for an believed $a million for any cume of $12.3 million. PHOTOS: 10 Big Babies: Movies Which Have Entered the ten-Figure Mark Apollo 18 tumbled a lot more than 68% for an believed $875,000 for any cume of $13 million. Box office experts say Sunday, Sept. 9 might be a particularly slow day for male-driven films due to the beginning of the National football league season. Related Subjects Gwyneth Paltrow Kate Winslet Matt Damon Tom Sturdy Box Office Contagion Steven Soderbergh The Assistance Bucky Larson: Born to become a Star Warrior

Letter From Toronto: Even Killer Elite Can't Quite Outduel Emmerich's Anonymous

The Toronto Film Festival is a world away from Venice, and the difference is especially acute when you hop from one to the other: Toronto is big and glossy, while Venice is intimate and glowing — it’s like the difference between lacquer and gold leaf. But each has its own appeal, and the scale of Toronto is appealing by itself. It’s a little overwhelming but exhilarating, too. Still, my morning didn’t exactly start off with a bang: The day’s first screening, of Gary McKendry’s Killer Elite, began half an hour late, the kind of glitch that can seriously mess up an already tight morning schedule. Worse yet, the movie wasn’t all I was hoping it would be. It wasn’t even half what I was hoping it would be. Jason Statham plays a retired Navy SEAL called out of retirement — doesn’t Statham always play reluctant hit men who just want to retire to a cabin in the woods? — to rescue an old pal, Robert De Niro, who’s been kidnapped by a sheik out to avenge the murder of his sons. Clive Owen plays a member of a Special Air Service vigilante group who’s out to stop Statham and his gang. While the idea of having three fine actors in an action movie together is certainly promising, Killer Elite proves that it doesn’t really matter who you cast if the filmmaking is just more of the same old choppily edited, noisy action crap. De Niro’s character spends most of the movie out of sight, locked up in a room somewhere, though De Niro isn’t bad in the 10 or 15 minutes of screentime he’s got — he puts his crazy twinkle to good use. And he does get to fire a machine gun, which is probably a lot more fun for him than playing Pops Focker for the umpteenth time. Statham and Owen are fine, too, to the extent that they get to do anything. But I’m not sure the best way to use these two actors is to throw them into a blur of grappling, grunting, head-bashing and attempted scissor-stabbing, which is how they first come together. As we already know from movies like Croupier, The International and Children of Men, Owen has much more to offer, and Statham, who was terrific in The Bank Job, desperately needs to break out of the reluctant-action-hero mold he’s been locked into. Killer Elite is a middling entertainment — not terrible, just undistinguished, and maybe that’s worse. In contrast, Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous is, at the very least, a curiosity, one with some clever casting and a very fine performance at its core. Emmerich is usually too busy destroying the world or going back in time to cavort with woolly mammoths to give much thought to who, exactly, Shakespeare really was. But that’s exactly what he does in Anonymous, which suggests — in a highly unbelievable fashion — that the plays and poems we attribute to Shakespeare were really written by one Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, a minor Elizabethan poet. Well, it could be true. Emmerich treats the possibility solemnly, welcoming us into his movie with a tony intro by Derek Jacobi, who steps into a theater spotlight to deliver a semi-informative prologue in plummy tones. The whole affair is rather silly, and more than a little boring, but there are a few flashes of brilliance tucked amid Emmerich’s bid for period-picture classiness. First, there’s the inspired casting of Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter, Joely Richardson, as old and young versions of Queen Elizabeth I. Richardson, with her tumble of pale curls, looks like a living, breathing version of John Millais’ Ophelia, but tougher. Redgrave plays her version of the character as if she has become more emotionally vulnerable, not less, with age — the older Elizabeth just works harder to submerge it beneath her imperious veneer. Both performances are great fun to watch, but it’s Rhys Ifans, as the Earl of Oxford, who keeps the movie spinning. He takes dorky, grandiose dialogue and turns it into something almost — well, Shakespearean. His character has spent his life writing incredible plays and sonnets, but he’s forced to hide his identity from the public. As Ifans plays him, he’s OK with all that — it’s the personal anguish he’s suffered that really matters, and Ifans carries that bruised nobility with him every second. His voice, sonorous and always just faintly sorrowful, reminds me of that of the late, great Richard Harris. Although Harris was Irish and Ifans is Welsh, they’re linked in spirit, rapscallions who can really buckle down and surprise you with their depth and heart. I giggled at parts of Anonymous, especially when our earl’s angry, disapproving wife catches him at his desk and bellows, like Gale Sondergaard with PMS, “My God! You’re writing again!” But I never laughed at Ifans. When you look into those eyes, you could almost believe that this was the guy who wrote all those sonnets.

Breaking Bad Sneak Look: Will Jesse Really Kill Gus?

Aaron Paul On last week's Breaking Bad, Jesse guaranteed Wally he'd kill Gus the very first chance he will get, but could he really undergo by using it?In Sunday's episode (10/9c, AMC), Jesse (Aaron Paul) has not yet done the deed, much towards the dismay of the very antsy Wally (Bryan Cranston), who cryptically broaches the topic before Gus' cameras within the most awkward small talk ever.Take a look at photos from Breaking Bad"I did not get the opportunity yet," Jesse informs him. "I stated I'll get it done. I'll get it done.InchInchExactly what does it matter?" Wally replies. "We are both dead males anyway."Watch the sneak look below. Plus: Discover what Jesse's favorite show is.

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9 Key events within the Evolution of Nick Nolte

Within this weekend’s Warrior, Nick Nolte assumes his most personal role up to now: what recuperating alcoholic who are able to’t appear to redeem themself within the eyes of his sons, or in the finish during the day, themself. How did Nolte transform themself from the strapping TV miniseries digital rebel to some gravelly-voiced vet actor reflecting their own well known devils onscreen? You could trace an immediate line via a couple of important roles as one example of what brought for an actor’s current success. As a result, let’s take a look at nine pivotal performances that track the evolution of Nick Nolte. Wealthy Guy, Poor Guy (1976) After studying acting with Stella Adler and honing his craft in the Pasadena Playhouse, the Nebraska native arrived numerous bit television roles (Gunsmoke, Barnaby Johnson, etc.) within the late 󈨀s and early 󈨊s before scoring his breakthrough role within the ABC miniseries adaptation of Irvin Shaw’s best-selling novel. Here, Nolte performed Tom Jordache, the rough, edgy Jordache (as opposed to his “rich guy” entrepreneur brother) who supported themself through boxing after The Second World War. For his part within this popular miniseries, Nolte gained his first Emmy nomination. The Deep (1977) Nolte’s career acquired momentum together with his initial role inside a feature film, The Deep, opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Robert Shaw. As you 1 / 2 of an attractive, travelling couple who uncover hidden treasure from the coast of Bermuda, Nolte demonstrated he was able to a good lead performance — even when this averagely-examined Peter Yates drama could be appreciated mostly for Bisset’s wet t-shirt moments. 48 Several hours (1982) After representing real-existence Beat Generation figure Neal Cassady in Heartbeat, a maturing National football league player in North Dallas Forty along with a marine-switched-heroin smuggler in Who’ll Stop the Rain, Nolte required his first comedy role with 48 Several hours. Because the hard-nosed badge to Eddie Murphy’s smart-cracking convict, Nolte has stated he and the co-star (in Murphy’s feature debut) improvised the majority of their moments together. This Walter Hill film will be the most effective box office artist for Nolte and would go onto be looked at the very first “buddy cop” movie. Fighting Dirty 48 Several hours. — MOVIECLIPS.com A bit low in Beverly Hillsides (1986) However it is at A bit low in Beverly Hillsides — which supports the distinction to be the very first R-ranked film launched by Disney — that experts, including Roger Ebert noted a transformation in Nolte. As Jerry Baskins, a Shakespeare-spouting bum over sleeping the 90210 zipcode, his character is drawn in with a kind family (Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler) after he attempts to drown themself within their pool. It's within this role, like a bearded street master-switched-confidante towards the wealthy that Nolte could distance themself from his “rugged appearance” so that as Ebert stated, “emerge like a endured, older, attractive actor [who had] the types of materials to become large-league star like Cooper or Gable.” In related trivia, Nolte allegedly spent five days like a destitute person to organize with this role.

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