Bumble Ward Takes Top Film Publicity Post at Fox

Bumble Ward has been named executive vice president of publicity at 20th Century Fox, and arrives on the studio lot Aug. 30. She'll report directly to Fox president of domestic theatrical marketing and chief marketing officer Oren Aviv and president of domestic theatrical marketing and chief creative officer Tony Sella. Ward will be responsible for all aspects of publicity campaigns for Fox films in North America. She formerly ran her own public relations, marketing and communications firm, Bumble Ward & Associates. The company's client roster included Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, Sofia Coppola, Tony Scott, Paul Thomas Anderson, DNA Studios, Freemantle Media and USC School of Cinema and Television. Ward closed her firm in 2005 to pursue her longtime interests in writing and social media marketing. She also launched a blog (MissWhistle.com), a mix of film, politics, art, books, photography and personal memoir. "Bumble has long been one of the industry's most respected publicity professionals and over the past several years she has become a top social media marketing specialist," Aviv and Sella said. Her wealth of experience in both traditional and cutting edge approaches will bring an exciting new dynamic to our publicity team, as we continue to innovate and evolve to maximize the opportunities presented by the rapidly-changing media landscape," they continued. Prior to launching Bumble Ward & Associates, Ward was an executive at boutique PR firms, Clein + White Public Relations and Marketing, Dennis Davidson & Associates, Andrea Jaffe & Associates, and Clein + Feldman. Fox has a busy fall and winter calendar, including The Big Year on Oct 14., In Time on Oct. 28, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked on Dec. 16 and Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo on Dec. 23. Related Topics Oren Aviv Hirings-firings 20th Century Fox Film Tony Sella We Bought a Zoo

Apple drops TV rentals from iTunes

Apple quietly removed the rental option on TV episodes from iTunes on Friday. Series will now only be available to purchase, a decision that may no doubt please the studios given the higher profit margins that come with that kind of transaction. In October 2010, Apple instituted 99-cent rentals on shows from Fox and ABC including "24" and "Desperate Housewives" in tandem with the deployment of Apple TV. "iTunes customers have shown they overwhelmingly prefer buying TV shows," said an Apple spokesman. A Fox spokesman released the following statement: "After carefully considering the results of the rental trial, it became clear that content ownership is a more attractive long-term value proposition both for iTunes customers and for our business. To further enhance the value of ownership, we are working with Apple to make content available within their new cloud-based service." The iTunes rental option is still in place on movies. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Kate Beckinsale and director Mns Mrlind talk Underworld: Awakening

Kate Beckinsale may be back in the familiar tight-fitting clothing of her vampire character Selene, but there is one change she's had to adapt to on Underworld: Awakening: two directors."When I first met with them I thought, 'I wonder how that is going to work.' But they have a real system where one of them directs on a Monday and then the other one directs on Tuesday," Beckinsale explained, describing it as, "really cool."Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein first met each other as young children and made their first movie together (Wednesday The 11th) when they we were fifteen."We started working professionally together 10 years ago because we got the same script on the same day. We saw it like, 'This is a sign, you know? We should do this together.'" Mårlind told Shock Till You Drop."The thing was that we knew that other directors are focused: one guy would focus on camera, the other on performances. We realised that we both like the same thing. So, we said, 'Let's do it every second day,'" Mårlind continues."When Björn directs, I'm just his best buddy, which means that I'm helping him and sometimes I can tell him, 'you've got it, move on' or 'maybe you should punch in here and get a closer thing.' I'm prepared to talk to producers or the production designer, while he's taking care of the fire of the day and the next day, we change. Then I'm directing and he's my best buddy.""The one that is not directing is kind of silent and doesn't say anything. I thought they would never be able to keep that up, it must be really difficult but they really do," says Beckinsale. "The advantage is that you get somebody who may have possibly been incredibly frustrated the day before and is so desperate to have his turn that they are full of enthusiasm.""It's funny because when fellow directors hear about this they go, 'Goddamn, that sounds great!' But you need to have someone who you've known since you were kids because it's about taste and trust," Mårlind adds.

Tony Scott Ready to Join 'Wild Bunch'

Oh those Scott boys. It was just Thursday afternoon that Moviefone reported that Ridley Scott was talking to Warner Bros. about making another 'Blade Runner' -- a report verified by a press release from Alcon Entertainment, which has a financing deal with the studio (The filmmakers have not yet revealed whether the project will be a prequel or sequel to the original). Now comes word that brother Tony Scott is in early talks to direct a reboot of Sam Peckinpah's 1969 classic Western 'The Wild Bunch.' The film -- which was set in Texas and Mexico in 1913 -- was controversial for its extreme, slow-motion violence and amoral attitude as it followed four grizzled outlaws -- sensing that they were dinosaurs in a dying Old West -- hoping to make one last score. William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates starred. For its time, it was the bloodiest film to ever hit the big screen (If you haven't see 'The Wild Bunch,' you need to run out right now and buy or rent it). Before he jumps on 'The Wild Bunch,' Scott will take on the 'Hells Angels,' a thriller about the rivalry between the Angels and another motorcycle gang, The Mongols. That won't start until next year, however, and only if Scott gets his choice of actors to play the Angels' notorious leader Sonny Barger -- and Scott wants Jeff Bridges. By the way, speaking of redos: Scott has been eyeing sequels to his 'Top Gun' and 'The Hunger,' as well as a redo of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.' And Screen Gems is getting ready to release a redo of another of Peckinpah's controversial films, 'Straw Dogs,' on Sept. 16. Tip o' the hat to Variety, Deadline.

Chris Evans manages to lose his shirt in Puncture trailer

Chris Evans without any shirt on? No, he has not just sprang from a supersoldier container to battle the Red-colored Skull, but he's involving his mix examination in the court-room thriller Puncture.He's about as filled with drugs as Cap though, because he plays an attorney who also is surely a high-functioning addict. With different true story, his character battles a pharmaceutical cover-up.In the event that does not seem everything exciting, this really is produced by exactly the same individuals who gave us the Jason Statham kick-heavy action flick Blitz. Possibly that describes the slight overkill about the music within the trailer?Puncture opens in US movie theaters on 23 September 2011 having a United kingdom release date still to become confirmed.

Eventually: Film Review

Lone Scherfig, the Danish director who's fast-becoming among the foremost interpreters of British culture, has carried out a little of miracle in a single Day, the film adaptation of David Nicholls' best-selling novel. The literary conceit behind the novel was that the readers could track the lives and friendship of two figures - lower class, politically engaged Emma Morley and wealthy, handsome Dexter Mayhew - over 2 decades via a brief snapshot of the changing relationship revealed on one day, that being This summer 15 of every year. Within this film version, Scherfig (Instruction) has orchestrated each short segment therefore the episodes flow easily together, which makes it feel of the whole instead of disjointed bits with costume changes. The classic three-act structure on most romantic dramas is not a lot ignored as subverted into small beats that chart the ups-and-downs of the relationship that intends to show romantic about as frequently because it intends to crumble apart. With two glamorous stars in Hathaway As Catwoman andJim Sturgessand an attractive mixture of romantic locations, the main focus Features movie should attract followers from college age upwards, without doubt skewing toward female audiences. Nicholls modified their own novel towards the screen but someone on the way - Scherfig? - gave him some killer notes for he's substantially enhanced the storyline from his novel. The novel symbolized among the longest cases of coitus interruptusin literary history. It started using the couple, recently graduated from college in Edinburgh, in mattress in 1988 however they don't consummate their feelings for each other until 2001! Much worse, the novel's Dex is really a louse from The First Day. Making Em a loser for mooning over him for a lot of years. Within the movie though, Nicholls has substantially freshened up his male protagonist allowing his charm and never his alcoholism stand out the first years. Drink only got its toll as his career like a "TV presenter" collapses. You now see what Em sees in Dex - and why she fights for him to reclaim his better side. Apart from reducing Dex's globetrotting to periodic activities to France, the film stays in keeping with the novel's dramatic trajectory but makes each character more likeable and fewer bedraggled. You really now root to allow them to connect and question (while you do within the novel) what takes them such a long time. They are doing come from Emma's mattress about the beginning following graduation evening. This really is This summer 15, 1988, that is St. Swithin Day in great britan, the thematic reason for that is never introduced. Em's glasses are meant to make her an ugly duckling - with Hathaway within the role this hoary device fails totally - but she does catch the youthful woman's coltish behavior and sly wit perfectly. Meanwhile Sturgess may be the epitome of the impetuous charmer that nonetheless includes a talent for self-destruction, something a youthful lady will dsicover precariously attractive. The film rushes through their lighthearted early years of the same quality buddies, where Em finds the temerity to call Dex's father (Ken Stott) a "bourgeois fascist" - this remark happens off-camera - and Dex finds themself enormously drawn to Em simply to admit he feels this way about virtually every pretty lady he encounters. His TV career increases exponentially while Em struggles to locate herself in low-wage jobs like a waitress in a horrible Mexican restaurant working in london and then like a teacher. Eventually, Dex crashes to earth at pretty much the same time frame Em becomes a proficient author of children's books. The thing is made, after which made again, that Dex reaches his best whenever Em is about. Otherwise, as his mother (Patricia Clarkson) sadly states, "I worry that you are not so nice any longer." Em evolves rapport having a third-rate stand-up comic, Ian (Rafe Spall), that is clearly an error, while Dex runs through female friends for example over-caffeinated fellow presenter Suki (Georgia King) to find yourself finally married towards the lovely but high maintenance Sylvie (Romola Garai) with whom he's a daughter. Supporting figures are much more peripheral within the movie - quick sketches of personas to point the passage of interests through the protagonists. Individuals which are permitted to emerge more fully after a while are Dex's parents, his moral compass when Em isn't around, and Ian, the comic who feels he or she must be constantly "on" to maintain people, even his girlfriend, entertained. Getting somewhat lost within the transition towards the screen is Em's intellectual curiosity, her social conscience and ambitions. Dex calls her the "wisest person I understandInch however, you don't fully realize why. What's thankfullylost in transition though is Dex's continual irresponsibility and thoughtlessness. This really is substantially well developed lower here so he's able, as his mother forecasts, to become good guy. Scherfig helps make the the majority of each segment, cleverly created by on-screen game titles that blend into each new scene. She zeroes in on quick dialogue trades or transitional elements to determine new situations and focal points, then moves the connection in the centre of her story together with considerable skill. Dealing with editor Barney Pilling, the director turns the evolution of Em and Dex right into a contemplation on friendship and love that's in direct contrast towards the wham-bam-thank-you-m'am of numerous screen romances. Inside a curious way, this movie may be the direct inversion of some other fine romantic film this summer time, Buddies With Benefits. That film drenched the pair in sex just for like to emerge. Here a friendship begun having a deep demand for other person's companionship and approval only progressively gives method to romance after which love. The filmmakers sensibly chose to not place much focus on aging their fairly youthful stars but instead leave this as much as these capable thespians. Hathaway, that has a convincing British accent, does shorten her hair for that later sequences but more to the point she teaches you that Em has gradually arrived at learn and accept who she's and be much more powerful with this evolution. With this particular film, Sturgess stakes his claim because the new Hugh Grant only with no picky actions which has infected most of the latter's performances. Sturgess are now able to play a variety of charming Englishmen with a variety of weak points and defects that ladies easily forgive. Cinematographer Benoît Delhomme and production designer Mark Tidesley provide the drama the gloss from the film's many splendid locations around Edinburgh, Paris, London as well as other country and ocean sides without involving in an excessive amount of nostalgia for that altering periods. Rachel Portman's lush and wistful score highlights the film's styles and also the ultimate melancholy that is available in the ultimate chapter of Em and Dex. Opens: August 19 (Focus Features) Production companies: An Emphasis Features/Random House Films in colaboration with Film4 manufacture of one Pressure production Cast: Hathaway As Catwoman, Jim Sturgess, Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott, Romola Garai, Rafe Spall, Jodie Whittaker, Jamie Sives, Georgia King Director: Lone Sherfig Film writer: David Nicholls In line with the novel by: David Nicholls Producer: Nina Jacobson Executive producer: Tessa Ross Director of photography: Benoît Delhomme Production designer: Mark Tidesley Music: Rachel Portman Costume designer: Odile Dicks-Mireaux Editor: Barney Pilling PG-13 rating, 107 minutes Hathaway As Catwoman Patricia Clarkson Romola Garai Lone Scherfig Eventually

Daniel Radcliffe will get spooked within the Lady In Black trailer

Right now, it's tough to assume Daniel Radcliffe as anything apart from Harry Potter, but this new trailer for that Lady In Black puts him in another light. Candle light, more specifically.Occur the Victorian times, James Watkins' adaptation from the famous novel stars Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps, a youthful lawyer who travels to some remote village to stay plans for any lately deceased client.It's within this absurdly creepy house, filled with old dolls covered in spiderwebs, he finds out the vengeful ghost of the lady scorned. Must have been apparent, really.A clip features some mute clips from the film's more tense moments, with standard creepy music along with a poem concerning the Lady from the title (read with a youthful girl) as soundtrack.When considering Daniel's giant screen career, the very first factor that involves mind for most people is 'the boy who lived'. Will The Lady In Black change that to 'the guy who are able to act'?Think you are brave enough? Browse the trailer entirely:The Lady In Black opens on 10 Feb 2012.

Cheers & Jeers: Breaking Bad Takes it towards the Banks

Jonathan Banks Cheers to Jonathan Banks for getting new meaning to badass on Breaking Bad. Want more Cheers & Jeers? Sign up for TV Guide Magazine. As Mike, muscle for meth kingpin Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), the bullet-headed character actor makes sequences like Sunday's heart-preventing opener - by which he blasted his way to avoid it of the ambush, then comfortably bent his nearly blown-off ear back to place - seem like a stroll within the proverbial park. An experienced of crime dramas stretching to Barnaby Johnson, Banks most particularly performed Ken Wahl's FBI handler within the cult favorite Wiseguy, an apt description from the sly spontaneity he gives his roles, including his surprising recent guest shot as Erectile dysfunction O'Neill's cancer-stricken brother on Modern Family. This week's Breaking Bad ended with Mike driving a drug-addled Jesse (Aaron Paul) in to the desert and towards an uncertain fate. A look in the next two episodes, tensely entitled "Shotgun" and "Cornered," discloses more twists and turns ahead for that wrapped-up thug. Maybe he'll lend an ear to some support group with Evander Holyfield? How good is Jonathan Banks on Breaking Bad? Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!