Reelz acquires Sarah Palin doc

Reelz Funnel has acquired TV privileges to Stephen Bannon's Sarah Palin documentary "The Undefeated" and can premiere it on March 11, only a next day of Cinemax debuts "Game Change," the variation of the greatest selling book chronicling the Alaska governor's entrance in to the 2008 race. The 2 projects will be described as a study in contrasts: "The Undefeated," which in fact had a theatrical and pay-per-view run this past year, is really a reverential take a look at Palin, from how she required around the good-old-boys club of Alaska politics to her battles from the established media and Beltway establishment as she rose to national prominence. Palin attended the film's premiere last summer time in Iowa. "Game Change" is dependant on the 2008 campaign tome by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, however the Cinemax movie concentrates on the drama surrounding John McCain choice of Palin as his running mate. Although it shows her 2008 convention speech and vice presidential debate as triumphs and her defense of family and special needs children as talents, she's also proven like a mercurial figure means by over her mind, specially when it involves foreign policy. Palin already has denounced the film. Bannon stated that Reelz's showing "is a counterweight" towards the Cinemax film, that they known as a "fictionalized account of the items happened." The manufacturers of "Game Change," director Jay Roach and author Danny Strong, have defended not just the study in the book however their own research. They stated they arrived at to Palin on her input, but she rejected. Stanley E. Hubbard, Boss of Reelz Funnel, stated that Palin "is really a charming figure who burst to the political scene, and whatever your leanings, for those who have any interest or curiosity in politics, telecomutting saves gas or even the Sarah Palin phenomenon, this can be a must-see movie." Reelz Funnel walked in to the political fray this past year if this acquired the miniseries "The Kennedys" from History funnel, which dropped the questionable project when confronted with critique from some historians. It continued to garner 10 Emmy nominations. Bannon, host of KABC's across the country syndicated "Victory Periods," is presently at the office around the documentary "Occupy Unmasked," a conservative counter towards the Occupy Wall Street movement. People U . s . Prods. is creating. Contact Ted Manley at ted.manley@variety.com

Six boost road grosses

Six from the 10 shows drawn in additional than $a million in Week 37 (February 6-12). Bolstered through the return of "West Side Story," total box office acquired 18.07% within the frame. Throughout its fifth week in Ontario, "The Lion King" was the very best earner, with $1.53 million in sales. Total gross for that week was $10,845,797.APPLETON, WIS. Billion Dollar Quartet (M-first Co) Fox Metropolitan areas PAC ($75 2031 $1,077,440) (2/07-2/12/12).PW, $510,433 in Detroit.LW (first), $698,775. AUSTIN, TEXAS Wicked (M-second Co.) Bass Concert Hall ($79 2,805 $1,451,857) (1/25-2/12/12).PW, $1,410,530.LW (3rd), $1,497,599. CHEYENNE, WYO. Mamma Mia! (M-first Co.) Cheyenne Social Center ($75 1,496 $171,860) (2/11/12).PW, $685,202 in La Crosse, Wis. Lincoln subsequently, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D.LW (first), $135,866. CLEARWATER, FLA. Memphis (M-first Co.) Ruth Eckerd Hall ($70 2,180 $993,320) (2/7-2/12/12).PW, $1,022,236 in Atlanta.LW (first), 772,046. DES MOINES, IOWA West Side Story (M-first Co.) Social Center ($90 2,723 $1,205,636) (2/7-2/12/12).LW (first), 1,109,957. El PASO, TEXAS Wicked (M-first Co.) The Plaza Theater ($77.50 2,035 $1,196,020) (2/1-2/12/12).PW, $1,060,127.LW (second), $1,313,325. FORT MYERS, FLA. Jersey Boys (M-first Co.) B. B. Mann PAC ($135 1,856 $1,215,544) (1/31-2/19/12).PW, $1,141,982.LW (second), $1,112,499. GREELEY, COLO. Mamma Mia! (M-first Co.) Union Colony Arts Center ($47 1,642 $144,836) (2/12/12).PW, $685,202 in La Crosse, Wis. Lincoln subsequently, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D.LW (first), $88,860. MANHATTAN, KAN. Mamma Mia! (M-first Co.) McCain Auditorium ($65 1,698 $91,428) (2/6/12).PW, $685,202 in La Crosse, Wis. Lincoln subsequently, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D.LW (first), $73,976. Ontario The Lion King (M-first Co.) The Orpheum Theater ($97 2,486 $1,536,175) (1/9-2/12/12).PW, $1,486,066.LW (fifth), $1,527,626. Polk, FLA. L'ensemble des Miserables (M-first Co.) Starz Center ($79.50 2,502 $1,040,162) (1/31-2/12/12).PW, $1,035,082.LW (second), $1,307,887. TOLEDO, OHIO Jersey Boys (M-second Co.) Stranahan Theater ($125 2,424 $1,280,020) (2/7-2/26/12).PW, $834,257 in Dayton, Ohio.LW (first), $900,188. WICHITA, KAN. Mamma Mia! (M-first Co.) Century II Hall ($65 2,135 $396,495) (2/7-2/9/12).PW, $685,202 in La Crosse, Wis. Lincoln subsequently, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D.LW (first), $307,193. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Summit int'l chief David Garrett to exit

Per month after Summit merged with Lionsgate, Summit co-founder and leader of worldwide David Garrett is planning to ankle the organization, based on sources with understanding from the situation.Reasons for Garrett's resignation weren't immediately obvious, but experts told Variety the professional grew to become emotional when talking about the merger a week ago while attending the Berlin Film Festival. It's unclear when Garrett will formally depart the organization.Word of Garrett's move may come as Lionsgate starts the integration of Summit staffers into its film procedures, spurring movement among executives from each side. A week ago, Summit's Erik Feig was named production prexy of Lionsgate Movie Group, as the former occupant of this publish, Alli Shearmur, is anticipated to segue to some creating deal.Garrett, Patrick Wachsberger and Bob Hayward formally released Summit in 1993 like a production, distribution and purchasers operation. The business's profile increased recently because it obtained using the "Twilight" franchise and fielded a best-picture Oscar champion with "The Hurt Locker." As lately because this past week, sources established that Summit's and Lionsgate's sales procedures continues out of the box for that relaxation of 2012, with both procedures -- Summit's headed by Garrett and Lionsgate's by Helen Lee Kim -- confirming to Patrick Wachsberger.(Diana Lodderhose led for this article.) Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace': The Reviews Were In!

"Alien: Episode I" returns to theaters today, in 3d. But enables costly back for just about any handful of moments to May 19th, 1999 your entire day The Phantom Menace was released. For anyone who is a die-hard Alien fan, like I used to be, you'd look at this movie regardless of just what the experts written relating to this. You ached to hear, once again, that familiar yet exciting last century Fox fanfare before reading through with the outlet crawl. You may have camped on the dirty pavement for several hours, days, days even, which means you might be one of the primary to determine it. However when you werent among people fans, you might have anxiously anxiously waited and examined the reviews before determining to look for the Phantom Menace. This can be a sampling from the products youd read. The Story The plot has something connected to a trade embargo being fought against against just a little planet referred to as Naboo, an embargo that calculates to become disguise for just about any planned full-scale invasion. Were never told what this small planet might be worth for the enormous Trade Federation (how you understand, inside the first Alien, just what the baddies will make money from removing digital digital rebel forces), and so the storys fundamental conflict does not have weight. Charles Taylor, Salon.com The Look You'll find new places here--new kinds of places. Consider the underwater urban centers, floating inside their transparent membranes. The Senate chamber, an enormous sphere with senators come up with over the inside walls, and sound system floating on coffee coffee pods inside the center. Together with other areas: the cityscape while using waterfall with a dizzying descent through space. As well as the other urban centers: one city Venetian, with rivers, another searching as being a hothouse version of imperial Rome, together with another that seems to own grown from desert sands. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Occasions The Gungan Yoda puts in the cameo, nevertheless the film's designated alien is Jar Jar Binks, a rabbit-eared ambulatory lizard whose pidgin British degenerates from pseudo-Caribbean patois to Teletubby gurgle. (Although Jar Jar might be construed as grotesquely Under-developed as well as the sea food faces talk like Fu Manchu, most likely probably the most blatant ethnic stereotype might be the hook-nosed merchant insect who has youthful Anakin.) Jar Jar and also the fellow Gungans suck the oxygen of the many scene their human costars appear naturally asphyxiated. J. Hoberman, The Village Voice The Child Based on that which you see here, it doesn't look like this type of ineffable mystery this kid will finish off a coughing, intergalactic energy-mongering control freak. A slave boy who already styles themselves a Jedi dark evening, Anakin can be a precocious brat -- the kind of kid who, inside our own world, might commandeer a playground and run everybody else in the jungle gym. Once the mental richness in the Alien movies is grounded in Darth Vader's movement interior and exterior the sun's rays, it may be time to make a new myth -- i.e., a completely new franchise. Peter Rainer, NY Magazine The Best Word Nothing could satisfy the hype from the film. Nothing. "Alien, Episode I: The Phantom Menace" can be a movie. It is not the second Coming. It is not the very first Coming, according to your religious stance. It's just a movie. ... Despite the fact that I'm saddened to report that it's deeply problematic film if this involves both narrative and character development, I'm very happy to realize that visually it's a marvel. Paul Clinton, CNN.com "Phantom Menace" spoken about now in Talk Nerdy!

Former X Factor Contestants React to Shakeup

Josh Krajcik, Nicole Sherzinger, LeRoy Bell The results are in, and three members of Simon Cowell's The X Factor have been eliminated. Host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger will not be returning to the Fox reality competition next fall.News of the ousters first broke on Jan. 30 when Jones Tweeted, "I won't be hosting next season's X Factor, which is a shame, but I can't complain as I've had a great time." A few hours later, Scherzinger's exit was confirmed by Fox, followed by confirmation of Abdul's departure the next day.TV Guide Magazine caught up with two of Scherzinger's Over-30 finalists - LeRoy Bell and runner-up Josh Krajcik - to get their reactions to the eliminations. "I always felt like Nicole's time there wasn't going to be that long, only because she was trying to pursue her own recording career," says Bell. "I figured it might be temporary." In fact, when asked about her future as an X Factor judge in December, Scherzinger told TV Guide Magazine, "I'm an artist and I'm usually the one on stage.""I'm a little shocked," agrees Krajcik. "I'm a little surprised that Paula left. At least with Nicole, I kind of knew that she wanted more time for her music career."Both singers say they did not witness any friction between the former judges and producers firsthand, and even though Scherzinger's priorities may have been with her own career, she still made time for her contestants. "She was around enough to help, but not around for much to hinder," says Krajcik. "There was a good balance with Nicole."Reports speculate that Cowell is searching for a big name to fill the judging vacancies, such as Mariah Carey or Beyonce. Krajcik agrees that a powerhouse artist would be a great addition. "One of the things I love about The X Factor is it's truly about artistry, but it really boils down to vocals. Having somebody with great vocal ability and [the knowledge] of what it takes to be a successful artist would be awesome for future contestants."There's also speculation that Cowell will shake up the format. "I think they ought to revamp it - the mentors and the judges should be different," says Bell. Even as a judge, "the mentor's always going to be on [his or her] contestant's side. It's a conflict of interest."Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

First trailer arrives for Brake

A first trailer has been released for claustrophobic thriller Brake, in which Stephen Dorff's secret service agent awakens to find himself trapped in the trunk of a car, with no means of escape and a timer counting down to God knows what.For the first thirty seconds or so, it looks as if this is going to be a cheap knock-off of Ryan Reynolds' ordeal in Buried, but as the trailer moves forward, it becomes clear that Brake will be taking a slightly different route than Rodrigo Cortes' clever thriller.Take a look at the trailer below... It seems as though Dorff's prison is a little more sophisticated than a simple coffin, with his captors subjecting him to all manner of physical and psychological torture in order to extract the information they're after.It's also worth noting that the trailer appears to show Dorff up and about outside his vehicular prison, so we can assume that at some point, he'll make his escape. Whether or not that's just a part of the terrorists' plan remains to be seen.Directed by Gabe Torres, Brake will open in the US on 23 March 2012. High Fliers are releasing the film in the UK in October. One to avoid if you're claustrophobic...

Keck's Exclusives: Mad Men Smooch

Mad Men Mad Men's notoriously tight-lipped creator, Matthew Weiner, is actually talking about the AMC drama's March 25 two-hour premiere. "It's called 'A Little Kiss,'" Matt reveals. "I like the title to have some kind of synergy with the show so it will pique your interest." Consider us piqued! Assuming that Jon Hamm's Don Draper is one half of the titular kiss (I know that's a big assumption), who might be on the receiving end? Perhaps new fiancée Megan (Jessica Paré)? What about ex Betty (January Jones)? "Who says Megan's even going to be part of Don's life?" says Weiner. "He may be back with Betty. One of my favorite scenes from [last season's finale] was when Betty offered herself to him again. And let's face it - those two look really good together." Unfortunately, when I recently bumped into January, she told me she couldn't recall having shot a single kiss in the new season. Damn, guess we'll just have to watch. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!