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'Glee' Helps Struggling Music Industry Its characters may feel like a bunch of unloved high-school misfits, but the quirky musical TV comedy " Glee " is putting smiles on the faces of music industry executives searching for new revenue in an era of plunging album sales. Two months into the 2009-10 TV season, "Glee" is drawing a weekly audience of 8.6 million viewers to the Fox television network. Fans have bought more than two million tunes sung by the show's cast on iTunes, and soundtracks are being compiled and sold in traditional stores. Revenues are being split among Fox and the record company, and artists and music publishers are being paid licensing fees for songs "Glee" uses in musical numbers in each episode. "Record labels have been desperate for new revenue," said Steve Knopper, contributing editor for Rolling Stone magazine. "They are trying to figure out any way to make money and one pretty reliable way is to sync up

Winona Ryder Is Going To The Ballet. "Swan" centers on a young dancer at the New York City Ballet (Portman) who may or may not be having delusions about a rival dancer (Kunis). The project, which began life at Universal before being reconceived as an indie, has drawn comparisons to "The Others" and other high-end supernatural thrillers. The specialty division is close to climbing aboard Darren Aronofsky 's " Black Swan ," in final negotiations on an agreement to co-finance and distribute the supernatural thriller set in the world of New York ballet. The pic, which stars Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, has also rounded out its cast. Winona Ryder has signed on to play an older dancer to Portman's and Kunis' younger performers, while Barbara Hershey and French actor Vincent Cassel are also joining the cast. Shooting is scheduled to start in New York before the end of the year, with a budget estimated to be $10 million-$12 million. Searchlight ha

Jake Gyllenhaal To Star In "Source Code" Jake Gyllenhaal is in negotiations to star in sci-fi thriller "Source Code" for Vendome Pictures and the Mark Gordon Co. "Source Code" centers on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a harrowing train bombing until he can determine who is responsible for it. Project had originally been set up at Universal in early 2007 when the studio bought Ben Ripley's screenplay and attached Topher Grace to star. Universal tapped Shane Abbess to helm last year. Current script includes revises by Billy Ray ("State of Play"). "Source Code" will launch the Vendome slate, according to Rousselet, who said the project exemplifies the types of producers and filmmakers with whom Vendome plans to work. He and co-CEO Fabrice Gianfermi plan to produce a minimum of a dozen films over the next five years. Please Leave A Comment- Source- Variety

Avatar Will Cost 500 Million After All Is Said And Done When James Cameron makes a movie he goes big. "Titanic" is a great example. But he definitely makes his money back in the end and then some. Mr. Cameron’s “Titanic,” which took in more than $1.8 billion at the worldwide box office after its release in 1997, was a major corporate event for the News Corporation, then about a third the size of the current conglomerate, which has roughly $30 billion in annual sales. Less than a year after the release, the News Corporation raised nearly $3 billion in a public offering of shares in its filmed entertainment group, partly on the strength of “Titanic.” (It bought those shares back four years ago.) Will Avatar do the same? Movies looks great and I am looking forward to seeing the film when it comes out this year. Can a movie studio make money on a film based on an original and unfamiliar story, with no Hollywood superstars, a vanishing DVD market and a price tag approaching $500

First Look at Alan Rickman As The Caterpillar From Alice In Wonderland Here is the real first shot of Alan Rickman voiced animated smoking Caterpillar. With all the Hype for this movie how did we miss this one? From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The all-star cast also includes ANNE HATHAWAY, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and CRISPIN GLOVER. The screenplay is by Linda Woolverton. Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll’s belov

Bryan Singer's Battlestar Galactica Movie In Pre-Production The Reboot of Battlestar Galactica the series aired on the Sci-Fi Channel (it's SyFy these days) for 4 seasons (2004-2009), and was re-imagined by Ronald D. Moore and David Erick. The series won several Emmy's over the years , a Peabody Award, and TV Critics Choice award. Now it seems that director/producer Bryan Singer is teaming up with Larson to make a Battlestar Galactica movie for the big screen, ditching and dissing the fan favorite Ronald Moore version. It seems that Larson was not a big fan of the Moore reboot, and wants to develop the original version of Galactica, keeping the original premise and storyline, making it more action oriented, geared for adults. Singer had originally intended to remake the original series for the small screen back in 2000, but the director was distracted by other endeavors and the project stalled. That's when Moore took over. Now that pre-production has started, any rumor

Risk Board Game Making It's Way To Theaters Sony Pictures have picked up the rights to Risk, Hasbro's strategy game in which players vie for global hegemony by destroying each other's armies and generally hanging around in Greenland. Risk is one adaptation that's come out of leftfield, even considering Hollywood's recent rush to transform everything dice-related into movie properties. Unlike Candyland and Monopoly, the game has no obvious universe or characters, aside from little plastic men with cannon, although it does offer a globally-recognised brand Sony are no doubt keen to exploit. A 'risky' business then? Tssk, says Columbia president Doug Belgrad. "The strategic thinking and the tactical gambles that players must take in the game are what make Risk a classic, thoroughly engaging game. Those elements translated into an action-packed, thrilling story are what will make this a uniquely exciting movie." Please Leave A Comment- Source- Empire

Isla Fisher To Star In "Desperados" Universal Pictures has picked up "Desperados," a comedy spec from Ellen Rapoport that will act as a potential starring vehicle for Isla Fisher. The story is set in motion when a woman sends an indignant e-mail to her new beau, who's gone silent after they have sex. When she discovers he's comatose in a Mexican hospital, she races south of the border with her friends in tow to intercept the e-mail before he recovers. The project has been described as a female-oriented "Hangover." Mark Gordon, whose "2012" opens next Friday, and Jason Blum, one of the producers behind the surprise horror hit "Paranormal Activity," are producing the project. Please Leave A Comment- Source- THR