Why 'Super 8' may be the finest Comic Movie of year

But wait, how can that be?! 'Super 8' isn't based off a comic book. Article FAIL! You're right, 'Super 8' isn't that's much like a comic book. In 'Super 8,' adorable outcast Joe Lamb (Joel Courteney) is taken up inside an amazing adventure where another-worldly threat descends upon his neighborhood outfitted together with his wits together with a few limited assets, he fights to be able to save the existence in the girl of his dreams (Elle Fanning), all while trying to satisfy working out imparted from his deceased parent. The film cleverly juggles the duel conflicts of youthful angst and sci-fi spectacle, using fantastically detailed art design and breath-doing it sequences. It couldn't low on that's much like Spider-Guy. However in most importance, 'Super 8' consists of the identical summary sentences just like a comic movie: thrills and chills, charming heroes and melodrama designed to attract the youthful and youthful-at-heart. Does "comic movie" forever have to mean "a movie that was modified from Marvel Comics problem #233"? A comic book movie needs to be a thing that feels and appears prefer comic reading through through experience, but is transformed into something totally new and various round the silver screen. So when more projects like 'Super 8' arrive, hopefully future comic movies does not need to be looked at lower with the restrictions of pre-existing comics. How come I consider 'Super 8' to become the finest comic movie of year? Because unlike 'Thor,' its romance was more genuine. Unlike 'Captain America' this didn't appear like it absolutely was sprints to create the follow-up. Unlike 'X-Males: Top Quality,A its gang of teenybopper heroes were better developed with elevated personality. It was not created with a hired gun searching to collect an income it absolutely was created with a geek auteur (and former comic shop worker) who was simply writing an appreciation letter with a certain kind of story. I don't let somewhat factor like "no actual 'Super 8' comic" get if this involves stating it the most effective comic movie of year. Watch a clip for 'Super 8' 2011 will be a prolific year for comic movies: furthermore to Marvel's three releases, 'Green Lantern,' 'Dylan Dog: Dead of Evening,' 'Cowboys & Aliens,' 'The Adventures of Tintin' and 'The Smurfs' all saw theatrical release this year. But did each one of these adaptations truly capture the spirit from the comic roots? A comic book movie aims to mash up genres like sci-fi, action, horror, comedy or romance with many different vibrant, colorful pictures. Why can't comic fans itch that scratch with movies like 'Super 8,' 'Attack the Block,' 'Hobo Getting a Shotgun' or 'Drive'? 'Hobo Getting a Shotgun' does over-the-top vigilantism and moral caricatures a lot better than the three 'Punisher' movies that have been attempted. Ryan Gosling's calm, awesome and brooding Driver persona feels as if it absolutely was plucked completely from a Vertigo small-series. Compare 'Green Lantern' with 'Attack the Block.' Both movies deal with bad-ass, wise-cracking humans fighting alien invasions. But 'Attack the Block' is created by Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright, a cutting-edge team which was elevated with geek popular culture, and looked for to cover tribute for his or her influences, while still saying something totally new. 'Green Lantern' was produced to become Warner Bros. tentpole franchise which will replace the now-concluding 'Harry Potter' and 'Dark Knight' series with lucrative selling options. The very best finish goal of 'Attack the Block' wound up being to provide sci-fi fans something they'd never observed before. 'The ultimate finish goal of 'Green Lantern' wound up being to produce a new entertainment brand that could attract various census that have never read a 'Green Lantern' comic (as figures, game game titles, clothes, school supplies and Halloween clothes). Which movie you think would be the as pleasing experience for comic fans? And no matter what size this year felt, 2012 will truly be bigger, while using relieve 'The Avengers,' 'The Amazing Spider-Man' and 'The Dark Dark evening Increases.' Hollywood is certainly prone to chase trends and film something that's already proven to operate. But as box office receipts still plummet as well as the entertainment industry struggles to harness profits inside the wake from the financial depression, they will probably mine the foundation material harder and faster than before. Spider-Guy fans are worrying this summer's reboot is putting things off telling an origin story that everyone already knows all they need to see is Peter Parker swinging through NY City, punching out Doc Ock and achieving screamed at by Jameson. Well that is not likely to occur -- since the new the new sony desires to focus on the current teen market that's passionate about 'Twilight.' Really the only factor The brand new the new sony should do is not piss off Spider-Guy fans a lot of your devotion to Spider-Guy is actually complete, the studio knows your ticket purchase was already a warranty. They do not have to produce a movie that costs you they must help help remind you of the trademark. Die-hard 'Green Lantern' or 'Spider-Man' fans will stick by their franchise no matter what these figures are actually while using site visitors since childhood, as well as the site visitors will uphold them through better or worse. Simply coping with the variation stage isn't the victory, nor will get a movie that suits in to a pre-existing template without compromising a lot of. The victory can be a unique movie which brings together the advantages and infinite options from the comic. Comics weren't for your public -- they've always be a huge hit for the strange, the nerdy, the outcast as well as the daydreamers. In addition to their movies should try to become as audacious. There's apt to be a period of time (probably sooner than later) when movies based on comics aren't special any more. They will be another formula that clogs up movie theaters like schlocky horror movies and bad romantic comedies. That might be averted if fans and filmmakers alike start thinking outdoors some-color box and start changing the saying exactly what it means to become "comic movie." It might be a unique genre and magnificence free from any technological restrictions it must be pulp fiction for just about any certain type of filmmaker together with a particular type of audience. 'Scott Pilgrim versus. The World' shouldn't be regarded as since the risk that not successful it must be the creative standard that lights a fire place beneath the ass of movie company company directors and comic artists alike. What's to avoid J.J. Abrams or Joss Whedon from forgoing the monthly floppy altogether and becoming a geniune superhero for the silver screen? However, why couldn't Grant Morrison or Mark Millar make use of their years of scripting consecutive art, and film their unique sci-fi blockbusters? Once the label is just too rigid to shake, then keep 'Steel,' 'Elektra' and 'Fantastic Four' because the concept of "comic movies" I'm prone to replace these with 'Robocop,' 'Big Trouble in Little China' and 'The Incredibles' for mine. Just like a long-term comic visitors, I'll always see the latest superhero adaptation within the Large Two. But as interested in the artform, I'm a much more excited to find out an activity that re-invents the storytelling tools, and moves as being a living, breathing 3d comic that jumps in the theater screen. ComicsAlliance Counterpoint: 'The Adventures of Tintin' may be the finest Comic Movie of year Convey more comic news at ComicsAlliance. (Photo credits from top: Vital, Warner Bros., The brand new the new sony) The Geekiest Movie Moments of 2011 11. Wolverine's Cameo in 'X-Males: Top Qualityཆ. Peter Sarsgaard's Temple in 'Green LanternƏ. Geek Hollywood Unites on 'The Adventures of TintinƎ. The Plague from 'Hobo Getting a Shotgunƍ. All the Asgard Moments in 'Thorƌ. The Jotnar from 'The Troll HunterƋ. They Finally Hug in 'The Deathly Hallows, Part 2Ɗ. The Driller from 'Transformers: Dark in the MoonƉ. Andy Serkis as Caesar in 'Rise in the Planet in the Apesƈ. Moses Versus. the Monsters in 'Attack the BlockƇ. 'The Situation' from 'Super 8' See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Eric Larnick on Twitter Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Mid-Season Burning Questions

Smash It's Round 2 for the networks as they head into mid-season. As CBS and Fox dominate, ABC is hoping to continue its momentum and NBC's looking for a break. Here are hot topics to consider this winter. Will new drama Smash and the return of The Voice finally hit some high notes for NBC?The Peacock's execs and its competitors all agree this is the key question for winter. "NBC is going to have a very sleepless night the evening both shows premiere," says one rival. "That night is going to determine the fate of NBC for the rest of the season." It's unclear whether a broad audience will be interested in Smash's Broadway themes or if ratings for The Voice will sing in Year Two. But The Voice has a Super Bowl lead-in for its premiere on Feb. 5, and then airs again before Smash's launch on Feb. 6. "Resetting Monday night entirely is a risk," admits NBC scheduling head Lisa Vebber. "It's a tough night of competition, and CBS is strong. But we have two creatively strong shows. Hopefully we can build something there." Will American Idol come back as big as last year, or has The X Factor created viewer fatigue for singing competitions?"Going into its 11th season, it doesn't seem to be losing steam," Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman says of Idol. "It's always about the talent, and if we have the talent, we'll be fine." Unlike last season, the first for new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, rivals aren't predicting gloom and doom for Idol. "Would I be surprised if they came back as strong as ever? Not really," says a competitor. However, the last time Idol premiered, there was no X Factor or The Voice, and the landscape may have shifted. "As a viewer, you probably need to pick and choose your music shows. It's hard to believe viewers can have an alliance to three different singing shows." Can ABC successfully launch GCB as a Desperate Housewives replacement?The network scored with two new dramas (Revenge and Once Upon a Time) this fall but may see its momentum slow in mid-season as those serialized hours head into repeats. Meanwhile, Housewives is slumping in its final season and won't be much help as a lead-in to the campy GCB when it launches in March. But critics like GCB - and ABC seems to be on a roll. When will fan favorites Community and Cougar Town return?NBC and ABC are mum, frustrating fans who have turned to Twitter to save their shows. Both will have plenty of episodes in the can and will be back by spring. "This is by no means the end of Community," Vebber says, noting that the show may benefit from airing a string of new episodes, with no repeats, later this season. Cougar Town exec producer Bill Lawrence has hinted on Twitter that he expects his show to be back "soon in the New Year." Can The CW finally break a new reality show?The mini network has had a tough time finding an unscripted series to complement America's Next Top Model but hopes that the similarly themed Remodeled may do the trick. The CW will launch Remodeled by airing it five times over the course of eight nights this month (starting Tuesday, Jan. 17). "You need to give viewers the most chances possible to find new shows," says CW scheduler Kevin Levy. Do viewers still remember AMC's Mad Men?By the time Don Draper returns in March, it will have been 17 months since the last original episode of Mad Men. The show's small fan base is loyal, however, so despite the long break between seasons, audiences may still be mad for Men. "What we're hearing is nothing but excitement and anticipation for the return," says AMC president Charlie Collier. Adds a competitor: "I think fans of the show have gotten used to the lengthy gaps between original episodes." Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

CBS sights live-stream of 'Morning' show

Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill will host 'CBS Today.'CBS thinks about the problem a good agenda to produce its new ayemcast "CBS Today" available via Web streaming synchronised having its live broadcast.Eye affiliates stressed that no concluding decision has been created but it is in your mind. Live streaming from the regular network program would unquestionably raise some hackles with CBS affiliate entrepreneurs, because it could draw audiences from local stations. CBS would be capable of restrict the stream by time zone, and for that reason a viewer in La wouldn't be capable of stream it prior to the show broadcast within the 7-9 a.m. slot round the West Coast."Today" is positioned to switch "The Very First Show" on Jan. 9. The show will probably be moored by Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and Erica Hill.

Thus Quoteth Back Stage to 'Saturday Evening Live'

This weekend's episode of "Saturday Evening Live" featured the return of former cast member Jimmy Fallon, who a lot more than rose towards the challenge of his first-time hosting responsibilities with what was easily among the highlights of the already consistently funny season. Only one Fallon-free skit particularly caught Back Stage's attention.Behold Tommy Palemese's highly inventive, absolutely original one-guy show, "Half Jewish, Half Italian, Completely Neurotic." The comments are in, and they are... factual? Watch the sketch below. While no "Dale Herschel" has ever written reviews for Back Stage, we could not help but be flattered through the multiple out-of-context (and hilariously ellipses filled) quotes credited to the publication. Six of these, more specifically. Cheers to "SNL" for realizing the initial position Back Stage likes in fostering fledgling works which otherwise might fall by theoh whatever, benefit from the video!Get more information at the most recent (legit) Back Stage reviews, from major Hollywood releases to off-off-Broadway finds.

Wrath From The Leaders will get an action-packed first trailer

Warner Bros have launched the very first trailer for Wrath From The Leaders, so that as guaranteed, the experience looks bigger and much more explosion-packed than in the past.The brand new film sees Mike Worthington's Perseus starting on another mission, this time around to save his father Zeus (Liam Neeson) in the clutches from the dastardly Hades (Rob Fiennes).Naturally, a clip concentrates on the different tests and adversaries that appear on the way, with various mythical beasties queuing as much as have a chunk from Perseus's demigodly backside.Have a look in the new trailer below... Now, while Mike Worthington's new mullet makes him look worryingly like Danny McBride, and using Marilyn Manson's cover of Sweet Dreams is a little incongruous, this still looks as if it will likely be reasonable step up from the initial, using the titular Leaders searching as if they could be an impression better second break...Ideally much more care and energy may have gone in to the three dimensional this time around around, that ought to ensure we are really not exposed to a different bout of card board cut-outs flailing around a bemused-searching Worthington. We'll discover without a doubt once the film opens here on 30 March 2012.Can't hold back until then? Well here's the very first official poster to keep you afloat. You lucky people...

Exclusive: Chuck Lorre Talks Two and a Half Men's Turnaround and His "Painful" Year

Two and a Half Men When all hell broke loose this year on Two and a Half Men, and it was clear that his relationship with star Charlie Sheen had turned toxic, executive producer Chuck Lorre came up with a way to end the madness."I offered to quit the show last winter," Lorre, 59, reveals for the first time. "I said, 'Listen, if for some reason I'm now the Antichrist I'm happy to leave. It's not in my interest to stop the show, and I certainly don't want to put all these people out of work. Keep going. Get another guy. Don't stop on my account."Not only did Sheen take a thinly veiled anti-Semitic jab at Lorre, but he also began regularly vilifying his boss in interviews, calling the sitcom hitmaker a "stupid, stupid man" and "a little maggot" - as well as plenty of things that can't be printed here. "I can't work with a guy who has decided that he hates my guts," Lorre says he told the network and studio.Such a move wouldn't have been unprecedented. Stars and producers frequently butt heads, and it's the producers whom often end up taking a hike. Lorre, who would have still kept an ownership stake in Two and a Half Men, knew that game well, having created and later departed Grace Under Fire after run-ins with star Brett Butler (who, like Sheen, struggled with addiction).But this was different. To put it bluntly, as Lorre, CBS and Warner Bros. TV watched Sheen quickly spiral out of control, they were concerned that he might die - and they weren't going to let him do it on their watch."[The studio and network] chose to make a moral decision as opposed to a financial one," Lorre says. "But people were really frightened that they were signing off on what could have had devastating consequences. This was not a game. This was drug addiction writ large. This was big-time cocaine and in his own words, an 'epic drug run' that could have ended with either his death or someone else's."Fortunately, that didn't happen. Still, Lorre says, "It was a painful year. I'll be sorting it out for a long time."Chances are you had never heard of Chuck Lorre before this year, but you likely watched his shows - Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly. Lorre has built up an unprecedented comedy empire, making CBS a dominant Monday-night force and Warner Bros. TV a big-time supplier of sitcoms in syndication.In 2011, Lorre had what may be the most successful fall of his storied career. After years of being snubbed by the TV Academy, The Big Bang Theory finally earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy. Plus, Big Bang star Jim Parsons collected his second best comedy actor Emmy, and Mike & Molly star Melissa McCarthy, who became a bona fide superstar this summer thanks to the feature Bridesmaids, scored a best comedy actress Emmy.Beyond the Emmys, Lorre's biggest coup this year was the successful reinvention of Two and a Half Men. After Sheen was fired in March, CBS convinced a reluctant Lorre to give the show an extreme makeover. "I thought, why not find out if we can do it. If we fail, what have we failed at? Making a sitcom? Then it became exciting. We got to do something none of us ever dreamed of doing: We got to end a series and start a new series in 20 minutes."Lorre first cast Ashton Kutcher as a hotshot Hollywood actor, straight out of an Entourage-like world, but later decided a character like that would be too much in the mold of Sheen's hedonistic jingle writer Charlie Harper - and he was done with that. "It was time to come out of the darkness," he says. "Maybe for my own heath and welfare, I wanted to write a character who was coming from the light."It's working: Two and a Half Men, starring Kutcher as bighearted Internet billionaire Walden Schmidt, opened to 32.8 million viewers (including seven days of DVR use), and continues as TV's most-watched comedy (and No. 2 scripted series overall, behind only NCIS). Thanks to the show's big open this year, Men is up 41% among adults 18-49 from a year ago. "Ashton slipped into it so seamlessly," says co-star Jon Cryer."When Chuck comes in and talks on a set, everyone listens," Kutcher says. "He's been around it enough and seen it enough that he knows what's going to work and he knows what's not going to work. Everybody respects that."Most recently, Lorre - whose credits also include Dharma & Greg and Roseanne - was named to the TV Academy Hall of Fame. And after years of almost single-handedly propping up the multicamera sitcom (shot on a stage in front of an audience), Lorre is witnessing a comedy comeback this season that he helped initiate.McCarthy credits Lorre's ability to pick the right team of producers, which includes Men's Lee Aronsohn, Big Bang's Bill Prady and Mike & Molly's Mark Roberts. "That's the right way to run something: Hire people [who] you know can do it and let them do what they do." Adds Parsons: "It's this musical ear that he has, this understanding of the rhythms and the beats that make up a 22-minute TV show."Lorre also credits the natural conflict that comes with working with the same group of writers for such a long time. "These are passionate, creative people; there are no pushovers," he says. "Out of the friction comes something better than what would happen if I had autonomy. Out of that cauldron of dissent comes a better show."Cryer says he wishes he knew Lorre's secret formula. "Then I would be the most popular sitcom producer on TV," he jokes. But as he helped keep the sitcom alive during the genre's lean years, Lorre says he never intended to dominate the form."There was no master plan," Lorre says. "It just worked out that way. It's not about how many cameras you have. It's about the characters - are they interesting? Do you want Dharma to be with Greg, do you want Mike and Molly to make it, do you want Sheldon to find happiness, whatever that might be?"Leaning back in his spacious office on the Warner Bros. lot - where, like one big comedy factory, his three shows take up an entire building - Lorre says he agreed to finally speak about his tumultuous year in order to help promote his three shows. But it's clear that his fallout with Sheen continues to weigh heavily on Lorre - and subtly addressing it via quips on his famous production vanity cards (which weren't well-received by Sheen) wasn't enough of a release.In hindsight, Lorre says he regrets not quitting the show after Sheen was accused of holding a knife to his wife, Brooke Mueller, on Christmas in 2009. "When he started attacking people with knives, that's it," Lorre says. "That should have been it. I should have walked. That's unthinkable. No more. I'm done. But for some reason I thought that because she was willing to forgive him... we could emerge from this fiasco and be stronger and healthier."At the same time, even as Sheen slipped up, he was able to hide much of his substance abuse behind his signature laid-back façade. "He always reminded me of Dean Martin," Lorre says. "Charlie is the epitome of cool and he made it look effortless. People never gave him enough credit for how skillful he was because he made it look so easy. There's that element of Charlie that's admirable and he was the kind of guy you wanted to hang out with. He was a special guy. But special guys are not immune to drug addiction."When Sheen wound up in the Cedars Sinai emergency room after another bender last season, it came just months after he allegedly trashed a room at NY's Plaza Hotel. The actor's problems, which he had long kept off the set, were finally impacting the job. "Last January and February it was not working anymore," Lorre says. "You couldn't do that much cocaine and work. It was heartbreaking to be around here last year."Cryer recounts how tension began to fill the set. "It became clear that he was not sober, and we weren't sure how hard he was trying to be sober anymore," says the Men star, who still hasn't talked to Sheen since he left the show. "We were used to things being just a little off balance for many months. You could tell his personality was changing... Finally toward the end it was undeniable."Lorre still wanted to believe that Sheen could turn things around, and concocted an idea to produce four more episodes once the actor got out of rehab. "We were going to have a 20-episode [instead of 24-episode] season. And I thought that given what happened in Aspen and the court case, and then what happened at the Plaza on Thanksgiving and then the Cedars Sinai emergency room trip, 20 instead of 24 was pretty good."For Lorre, the decision to give Sheen the benefit of the doubt was also deeply personal: "Sobriety is a big part of my life, and it's been that way for almost 13 years," he says. "I'm eternally grateful I've been able to find this in my life."But instead, Sheen went rogue: He refused treatment and began trashing his boss. "I embarrassed him in front of his children and the world by healing at a pace that this un-evolved mind cannot process," Sheen famously said in one rant. "I've spent, I think, close to the last decade I don't know effortlessly and magically converted your tin can into pure gold." (Sheen declined comment for this story.)Sheen's attacks on Lorre's sobriety particularly stung deep. "That broke my heart," he says. "I thought we were on the same road together. I mean, we held hands and prayed when his sons were born prematurely."It was pretty much "all hurtful," Lorre adds. "There was a great deal of grief and anger about how that all went down. But my intent from the very beginning was I didn't want to look the other way." Says Cryer: "It's a guy with a problem lashing out at the people trying to help him. Anyone who has had a substance abuser in their lives knows that's what happens sometimes. But it happened over the Internet and blew up huge into this crazy thing, and it was horrible to be a part of."Production continued on Big Bang and Mike & Molly, and Parsons remembers that "work just kept going on, and things were kind of unchanged - which was frankly, looking back now, a remarkable moment in our four-and-a-half year history." Still, he says the Sheen story was inescapable. "I had to get off the treadmill four times one day and change the channel because it was something about the story and I was just so tired of it. There was no joy to be had from our end... I did feel certainly a real protectiveness for Chuck. I don't think anyone would have blamed him if he took off and went to a beach."Soon after being fired, Sheen filed suit against Lorre, CBS and Warner Bros. TV, accusing them of breaching his contract. Lorre says he was taken back by the allegations that he stood to gain if Two and a Half Men was canceled. "It was preposterous," he says. "I have a vested interest in the show. I want it to go on forever." (The suit was later settled.)By the summer, media attention had turned to how Two and a Half Men would explain Sheen's exit (it turns out, Charlie Harper would be killed off) and Kutcher's arrival. "We were all like little kids here back in June, writing the show, trying to create a brand new series starring Ashton Kutcher," Lorre says. "It was fun."Then, as Emmy night arrived, word leaked that the TV Academy had agreed to give Sheen a platform as a surprise Emmy presenter. Lorre and Warner Bros. TV strongly pressed the TV Academy and Fox (which carried this tear's Emmy telecast) to reconsider."I thought it was really disrespectful to the nominees," Lorre says. "That's their moment, and it was somehow undermined by this melodrama that was happening on stage. I don't have any regrets about making some phone calls and saying, 'Really? You're going to do this?'" Fox and Emmys producer Mark Burnett didn't back down, and a subdued Sheen wound up awkwardly handing the best comedy actor Emmy to Big Bang star Jim Parsons.Despite what happened this year, Cryer says he's still on "Team Charlie" - "We all really loved working with the guy," he says - and Lorre says he hopes that Sheen is well and able to be there for his kids."The man was my friend," he says. "I cared for him deeply. We had a great time. We succeeded beyond our wildest dreams. Sometimes I'll watch some of the reruns and I'll go, 'That was really funny. That was worth watching.' I'm proud of what we did."But Lorre's focus now is keeping Men 2.0 alive for years to come. "I have to be grateful," he says. "We got the show back. Everybody's working. I'm eternally grateful we didn't walk away last winter and wrap it."The future is contingent on Kutcher renewing his one-year deal, but the actor hints that it's very likely. "Right now I'm still enjoying it," Kutcher says. "And as long as I'm enjoying something, I'll stick with it."Cryer, for one, hopes that his new co-star renews his deal. "What's been great is coming up with an entirely new comedic dynamic with Ashton," Cryer says. "He's such a different actor. Charlie would sort of amble in, run a scene once or twice and he would nail it. With Ashton we rehearse things, he improves on it and we find new stuff all the time, and it's a great breath of fresh air. I'm enjoying that process. The show already has had more sentiment invested in the friendship between Alan and Walden than we ever did in the old version of the show, and that's fun."And who can blame them for wanting to keep the party going? "I was in Borneo and people told me how much they love Two and a Half Men," marvels Lorre. "It's humbling to see the reach of American TV. When I take it for granted it will be time to quit. But not yet."Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

ABC promotes trio of sales execs

Doug Hochstadt, David Mayber and Tom Watson have been promoted to senior vice presidents of ABC Sales. Hochstadt has been named senior VP, planning and proposals. In his new role he will handle pricing for all dayparts, and planning responsibilities for the network. Hochstadt will continue to report to Debbie Richman, senior VP of primetime sales. Mayber was named senior VP, central division, succeeding Michael Rubin, who is retiring after 40 years with ABC. He reports to ABC Sales president Geri Wang. Watson was named senior VP, team leader. Also reporting to Wang, he will head the sales team calling on OMD, PHD, and Horizon Media. In addition, Marco Forte has been promoted to vice president. He reports to Watson. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Games sales up, but overall revenue flat

In the first month, Bethesdas videogame Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim sold more copies than the prior installment fivefold. The discharge of high-profile game titles like "Cod: Modern Warfare 3," "Elder Skrolls V: Skyrim" and "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deceptiveness" increased videogame sales in November by 15%, based on NPD Group, but while hardware also moved from stores, discounting triggered overall revenue in the future in flat around $3 billion for that month. An uptick in sales was expected, with Activision's juggernaut "CodInch franchise once more breaking sales records upon its launch. But much hype for other game titles like Sony's third "Uncharted" and WB's Batman title "Arkham City" also compensated off. Software sales rose to almost $1.7 billion, up from nearly $1.5 billion last year, with "Cod: Modern Warfare 3," Bethesda's "Elder Skrolls V," Apple Something Electronic Arts "Battleground 3," Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed: Facts," and "Just Dance" ranking one of the top 5 top retailers across all platforms. THQ's "Saint's Row: The 3rd,Inch "Uncharted 3" and Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword III" were also within the top ten but sales figures were lower for that latter two simply because they were exclusive game titles for that Ps 3 and Wii consoles, correspondingly. "This November marks the very best November on record for sales of recent physical content," stated NPD analyst Anita Frazier, topping November. 2008. NPD no more stops working specific sales figures for individual game titles. However it stated "Modern Warfare 3's" launch bested last year's "Cod: Black Operations" by 7%. As well as in 30 days, "Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" is nearly 500, 000 models shy of matching "Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion" in lifetime sales, using its launch beating the prior installment five-fold in the first month. EA's "Battleground 3" can also be the very best-selling title for that franchise, while "Batman: Arkham City" offered well in month two and it is now just shy of "Batman: Arkham Asylum's" lifetime unit sales, NPD stated. Ubisoft was the only real writer with two games in NPD's top 5 listing of best-selling games with "Assassin's Creed" and "Just Dance 3." "Assassin's Creed: Revelations'" bow was 10% greater than last year's "Brotherhood," also in November. And also the "Just Dance" franchise has created no. 1 Wii game within the last 13 several weeks. Ubisoft controls 72% from the dance gaming sector. For hardware, "a decline in average retail cost in most groups except for portable hardware led to flat dollar sales despite the fact that unit sales increased for console hardware, in addition to console, portable, and PC software," stated NPD's Anita Frazier. Overall hardware sales were off 9% to $982 million over this past year. November was the 4th consecutive month by which Microsoft's Xbox 360 360 continues to be the very best selling hardware system. "The space between 360 sales and purchasers from the next top selling platform was the biggest we have seen since December 2008 once the Manufacturers DS was the very best selling system," Frazier stated. Accessory sales fell 34% to $274 million although a lot of the decline was because of Microsoft bowing the Kinect this past year. Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Millennium will get near Katherine Heigl thriller

HeiglMillennium Films is at discussions to obtain Tony Giglio's new spec script "The Follower," which Katherine Heigl is at predicts topline and convey through her Abishag banner.Plot particulars weren't revealed, nevertheless the script is known to love a thriller.Heigl's mother, manager and Abishag partner Nancy Heigl may also be prone to produce.The "Grey's Anatomy" alum remains ramping up her creating career lately, taking executive producer credits on "The Ugly Truth," 'Life To Be Sure It" and "One for the investment,In . an adaptation in the Jesse Evanovich novel that Lionsgate will release Jan. 27. Thesp most recently wrapped Millennium's comedy "The MarriageInch and may soon be seen incorporated within the star-studded ensemble of Garry Marshall's romantic comedy "New Year's Eve," which New Line opens a couple of days ago.Giglio can be a production veteran who's most broadly noted for writing and pointing the 2005 Jason Statham actioner "Chaos." He's credited while using scripts for your two direct-to-DVD "Dying Race" sequels and several recently written the knowledge thriller "Arena," which stars Samuel L. Jackson and Kellan Lutz. Giglio may also be penning a sci-fi adaptation of Ernest Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" for Radar Pictures.Paradigm reps both Heigl and Giglio, who's also repped by New Wave Entertainment and attorney David Markman. Contact Rob Sneider at rob.sneider@variety.com

Cinema Twitter Seats Provide You With Permission to Bug the Hell From Everybody

Are you able to view a 2-hour movie without searching at the mobile phone? Absolutely not! You need to look at your email or tweet concerning the movie you are seeing (side note: Please follow Moviefone on Twitter) or play Angry Wild birds. Fortunately, some movie theaters have discovered a means for audiences to get this done without getting started out. Based on a USA Today article, "an increasing number of theaters and carrying out groups across the nation are putting aside 'tweet seats,' in-house seats for patrons to reside-tweet throughout performances." This means that you are now permitted to bug the garbage from your neighbor in a movie with no negative consequences. The reasoning behind this decision seems to become marketing -- more and more people tweeting concerning the event, throughout the big event, will ultimately result in ticket sales. Obviously, that thinking will not work with everybody. As Patricia O'Kelly, a Kennedy Center speaker, stated, "We create a pre-performance announcement asking patrons to show off their ... cell phones to be able to keep your light and seem from annoying other patrons." The main one silver lining out of this (unless of course, obviously, you are area of the group that really wants to tweet throughout a film) is the fact that these tweet seats is going to be situated within the back row. But, wait one minute: when the tweeters have been in the rear row, they may be tweeting something negative in regards to you without your understanding. You cannot allow that! You are going to need to have a stand. You need to express yourself. But, well ... doing that will contradict the sensation you've toward tweet seats. Perhaps you should decide to try Twitter to determine the other people think, then come to a decision? [using a.Sixth is v Club and USA Today] [Photo: AP] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Sony Pictures WW Acquisitions Hires Relativitys Joe Matukewicz

Joe Matukewicz, most recently head of acquisitions at Relativity Media, has joined Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions as SVP Acquisitions. He’ll report to SPWA president Steven Bersch andoversee all acquisitions for the division. SPWA in 2011 acquired or produced numerous successful films including Soul Surfer, Insidious, Jumping The Broom, Courageous, The Raid, and Colombiana. It will continue to be responsible for providing content for all of SPEs distribution channels, including theatrical, home entertainment, television and digital.We are thrilled to have Joe join us in this key role,” Bersch said. “His experience and taste will be vital as we continue to increasingly ramp up our acquisitions activities, and work to bring more great product into Sony.” Matukewicz had been senior veep and Head of Worldwide Acquisitions at Relativity Media. Prior to that, he was VP Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Paramount Vantage and Director of Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Paramount Classics. His deals have included Act Of Valor, House At The End Of The Street, Hustle & Flow, The Machinist, and An Inconvenient Truth.