“Futurama” bounces back (a little)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – “Futurama” halted its ratings slide and rebounded a bit Thursday night. The Comedy Central show bounced 10% from last week to 2.2 million viewers for its 10 p.m. airing. That’s a good sign for the show, whose audience shrank for the first few weeks of its basic cable revival.

Thursday cable was led by USA’s “Burn Notice” (5.6 million) climbing back up to a number it hasn’t seen since its second episode this summer, followed by a strong showing by USA’s “Royal Pains” (5.2 million).

E! co-founder launches celebrity website

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – The co-founder of E! is launching a celebrity-focused online network complete with several programs in the hope of establishing a new brand in the entertainment programing space.

Alan Mruvka created E! (then called Movietime) 23 years ago with Larry Namer. Last week, he returned to his roots with the launch of the Look, a new site at thelooktv.com, which aims to blend fashion and celebrity programing with an e-commerce sales site.

“When I was pitching E!, I used to say that TV is like a newspaper; there’s headlines and sports, but there was no (entertainment) section,” Mruvka said. “Now TV is like a magazine stand, with golf and food and everything else — it’s narrowcasting. Well, the thickest magazines are fashion magazines; that’s where the money is. The Look is as if you were to take InStyle magazine and make a network out of it.”

Mruvka has been working on the Look for three years and is launching with about $10 million in self-raised investment capital. The Look isn’t aiming for linear cable network distribution — at least not yet.

“I don’t believe it’s still about launching a network and getting it on TV any way you can,” he said. “The convergence of the Internet and TV is closer than ever, and I want to be on the edge of that.”

Mruvka describes the Look as best resembling a hybrid of E! and its spinoff channel, the Style Network. “Our goal is to be the place to go to see what your favorite star is wearing and then buy it right then and there,” Mruvka said.

Lesbian films honored at Outfest in L.A

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Two lesbian dramas won top awards Sunday at Outfest, the 28th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Ned Farr’s “A Marine Story” and James Kent’s “The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister” were named best U.S. dramatic feature and international dramatic feature, respectively.

“Marine,” which also picked up the audience award for dramatic feature, stars best actress winner Dreya Weber as a decorated Marine officer whose career is imperiled by the ban on gays in the military. The British film “Anne Lister” tells the true story of a landowner in 19th century England.

“Good Luck Charlie” gets renewed

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Disney Channel freshman sitcom “Good Luck Charlie” is getting a second season — and an original movie.

Since premiering three months ago, “Charlie” has become the top-rated series on TV among kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14. The comedy, about three teens (Bridgit Mendler, Jason Dolley, Bradley Steven Perry) caring for their new baby sister, averages 4.1 million viewers each week.

The second season will likely debut next year, and in the meantime the network is developing an original movie that will feature the show’s cast.

Brian Austin Green may join “Desperate Housewives”

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Brian Austin Green is close to a deal to play a recurring role on “Desperate Housewives” next season.

Megan Fox’s new husband will play a contractor who turns up the heat on Wisteria Lane as a potential love interest to one of the housewives.

The former “Beverly Hills, 90210″ star has landed a couple major series on TV in recent years, including a recurring role on The CW’s “Smallville,” as well as series regular role on Fox’s “Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

Comedy Central showing “Brother”-ly love

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Comedy Central is developing an odd-couple comedy series starring two heavy-set comedians, called “Brothers From Another Mother.” Ralphie May, who is white, and Lavell Crawford, who is black, will play lifelong friends who discover they’re brothers when their father passes away and leaves them his barbecue restaurant.

IFC picks up ‘Freaks,’ ‘Undeclared’ reruns

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Building on its strategy of showcasing off-center comedies that appeal to young men, IFC has picked up reruns of Judd Apatow’s short-lived comedies “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.”

The two cult favorites, which lasted for just 18 and 17 episodes, respectively, helped launch the careers of Jay Baruchel, Jenna Fischer, James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel.

“Freaks and Geeks” will premiere on IFC on Friday at 11 p.m., and encore on Mondays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. “Undeclared” will debut on IFC this fall. A previously unaired episode of “Undeclared” will make its U.S. TV debut on IFC.

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Fred Ward joining “30 Minutes” crime comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Fred Ward has been cast in the Columbia feature “30 Minutes or Less.”

Film

“Zombieland” director Ruben Fleischer is shooting the action comedy, which revolves around two criminals who force a junior-high history teacher and a pizza-delivery man to rob a bank by strapping one of them into a bomb vest. Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Michael Pena, Nick Swardson and Aziz Ansari star. The picture is scheduled to begin filming late next month in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Ward will play “The Major,” the father of McBride’s character. He recently appeared in the heist film “Armored” and on the Showtime series “United States of Tara.”

HBO renews “True Blood” for Season 4

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – HBO has renewed “True Blood” for a fourth season, beginning next year. As with Season 3, it ordered 12 episodes. Though ratings for Sunday’s episode are not yet available, last week’s third-season premiere drew 5.1 million viewers — up 38% from the Season 2 opener.

“Amazing Race” host takes reality TV to open water

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Phil Keoghan has agreed to host a different sort of “Amazing Race.”

Television

The reality veteran will host and co-produce a new reality venture that’s about to be shopped to U.S. networks. Exodus Film Group has secured North American rights to an upcoming series based on the Velux 5 Oceans race, where skippers risk their lives to sail around the world on racing yachts. The race spans nine months.

“Extreme adventure sports have been captured many times, but what makes this race so unique is the world’s best sailors will take on the unforgiving oceans alone,” Keoghan said. “This is a fantastic opportunity to share a physical and mental challenge that will test competitors beyond what seems humanly possible and at the same time highlight the planet’s awe inspiring oceans.”

Patrick Dempsey joins coming-of-age film

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – “Grey’s Anatomy” heartthrob Patrick Dempsey is attached to star in “Tom’s Dad,” a coming-of-age film written by New York playwright Marty Casella.

Film

The story unfolds in 1962 Las Vegas, as a successful character actor and vaudevillian nightclub performer struggles to keep up with changing comedy styles as his estranged son appears to complicate matters.

It will be directed by Lasse Hallstrom (“Dear John”) and produced in part by Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil production company.

Dempsey most recently starred in “Enchanted,” “Made of Honor” and “Valentine’s Day.”

Edward Asner joins CMT comedy pilot

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Edward Asner has signed on for CMT’s comedy pilot “Regular Joe,” playing the gruff father of Tom Arnold’s title character.

Television

Asner’s character has recently returned to dating after separating from his wife of many years. The cable network also has cast Liza Snyder (“Yes, Dear”) as Arnold’s smart wife.

If greenlighted, the pilot will represent a return for Asner to the medium that made him a household name in the 1970s with his Emmy-winning work in “Mary Tyler Moore” and its “Lou Grant” spinoff. The 80-year-old actor was in movie theaters last year as the voice of the lead, airborne character.

“Regular Joe” is part of CMT’s scripted series push; the country music-oriented network ordered four comedy pilots this year.

Brody”s horror flick sex scene turned off Hollywood

London, June 4 (ANI): Canadian filmmaker Vincenzo Natali took French help to fund his new horror flick Splice after Hollywood studios refused to direct a sex scene between Adrien Brody and a creature his character creates.

Natali, 41, says the idea of watching Brody sleep with a half-woman, half-creature, played by French actress Delphine Chaneac, was a big turn off for American studio bosses.

He said: “That scene was the reason I wanted to make the film and that”s why it”s such a miracle this film exists.

“No studio wanted to make it, because of (the) sexual part of the story. So we had to go to France. And the French, of course, had no problem with it.”

Natali also revealed the reason for casting Chaneac in the movie.

“I felt she had an androgynous quality. I didn”t want to make Dren overtly sexual. I wanted people to fall in love with her rather than in lust. Also, I feel like an androgynous beauty is perhaps a little more evolved. Like David Bowie is maybe more evolved than the rest of us,” the Daily Express quoted him, as telling Entertainment Weekly mag.

He added: “I really think that Dren is an object of desire, but not in the most obvious sense.” (ANI)

Los Angeles is brutal to older women: Kim Cattrall

London, May 27 (IANS) ‘Sex and the City’ star Kim Cattrall has said that Hollywood is a ‘brutal’ place for older actresses to live.

‘Living alone in Los Angeles can be brutal for women. There’s a lot of abuse, in the sense that Hollywood is run for the young and beautiful. The only thing that is respected over the age of 40 is success. If you miss the boat – as I was doing – then doors close and you are out in the cold.’

The 53-year-old actress swapped Los Angeles for the New York in 1998 after she landed the role of Samantha Jones on the series, which filmed in Manhattan, reports dailystar.co.uk.

Megan Fox quit ‘Transformers 3’ over ‘weight loss’

London, May 21 (ANI): Hollywood beauty Megan Fox decided to quit ‘Transformers 3’ after a row over her plummeting weight.

Fox, 24, rose to fame, as Mikaela Banes in the series and was loved by her fans for her perfect toned figure.

However, director Michael Bay expressed his concerned over her shrinking frame and wanted her to put on weight.

“He thinks she”s too frail. She”s going for this gaunt image and it looks unhealthy,” the Sun quoted a source as saying. (ANI)

Courtney Love wants to revive her acting career

London, May 21 (ANI): Courtney Love is looking to return to the big screen, as she wants to renew her acting career.

The rocker has acted in a few Hollywood films like 200 Cigarettes and Man on the Moon, and has even received nomination for Best Actress Golden Globe for her performance in The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Love, who has been away from Hollywood for a while now, recently released her fourth Hole album, but has now, expressed a wish to return to movies.

“When I first started acting I passed on The Matrix, on L.A. Confidential. I passed on a lot of stuff because I really wasn”t ready to pass on the rock thing. I”m still not ready to give that up but I”d like to do the acting part-time,” The Daily Star quoted her as telling Kerrang! Magazine. (ANI)

Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz to star in final chapter of ‘Twilight’ saga

New York, May 20 (ANI): Actors Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz have been signed for ‘Breaking Dawn’, the fourth part of ‘Twilight’ movie series.

Both the stars will join Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in the fourth and the last version.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, stars were reportedly demanding for their price hike but the duo have settled pay disputes over the ‘Twilight’ saga’s final chapter, reports the New York Post.

Movie studio Summit Entertainment, which has made billions off the franchise, has been negotiating with the two supporting characters since last week, but the two actors reportedly wanted increase in their pay for the next flick.

Since the studio did not allow them to renegotiate on the second and third films.

“The studio realized how valuable Ashley and Kellan are to the franchise and did what they needed to do to keep them,” said a source close to the situation.

The duo have settled for 1.25 million dollars per film now, their characters are reportedly slated to get more screen time in the ‘Breaking Dawn’ segments. (ANI)

Megan Fox out of ‘Transformers 3’?

Washington, May 20 (ANI): Actress Megan Fox has been reportedly dropped from ‘Transformers 3’.

According to a report from Access Hollywood, a source who works at Paramount, the studio that produces the film, said Fox’s character would not be revived in the third installment of “Transformers,” as producers want to take Shia LaBeouf’s character Sam Witwicky in a different direction, reports Fox News.

Director Michael Bay apparently made the decision months after Fox compared his work approach on set to that of “Hitler” and “Napoleon.”

Production on the third installment has already begun, according to reports. (ANI)

Gemma Arterton left ‘flabbergasted’ with Jake Gyllenhaal’s body

London, May 19 (ANI): Actress Gemma Arterton has revealed that she was ‘flabbergasted’ when she saw co-star Jake Gyllenhaal’s body during shooting of their latest film ‘Prince Of Persia’.

Arterton, 24, revealed her reaction to 29-year-old Gyllenhaal’s body at the movie’s Hollywood premiere.

“I was so nervous about my own work, I was just like ‘oh yeah nice body’ – but I remember I was flabbergasted,” the Mirror quoted her as saying.

“I’ve seen a few bodies now, Daniel Craig and what not, but it still takes me by surprise. It’s always nice to see something like that,” she added.

‘Prince Of Persia’ will be released in UK cinemas on May 28. (ANI)

Sam Worthington turns producer for sci-fi epic

London, May 19 (ANI): ‘Avatar’ Star Sam Worthington has decided to produce an upcoming sci-fi film ‘Quatermain’.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Aussie actor is all set to act and produce a re-imagining of H. Rider Haggard”s Victorian adventurer Allan Quatermain.

It was made famous in the hit novel King Solomon”s Mines, reports the Daily Express.

Unlike Quatermain novels” original setting in Africa, Worthington”s edition will see the protagonist return to Earth after a space trip-only to find there are no humans left on the planet. (ANI)