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Exclusive: Emmy winner Carrie Preston (The Good Fight) has signed on to star alongside Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph in the Miramax film The Holdovers, from two-time Oscar winner and seven-time nominee Alexander Payne.

The dramedy written by Whiskey Cavalier creator David Hemingson follows Paul Hunham (Giamatti), a teacher at a prestigious academy who nobody likes—not his students, not his fellow faculty, not the headmaster, who all find his pomposity and rigidity exasperating. With no family and nowhere to go over Christmas holiday in 1970, Paul remains at school to supervise students unable to journey home. After a few days, only one student holdover remains—a trouble-making 15-year-old named Angus, a good student whose bad behavior always threatens to get him expelled.

Joining Paul and Angus is the school’s head cook Mary (Randolph), who caters to sons of privilege and whose own son was recently lost in Vietnam.

Interest building on raft of available films heading into the week.

The future is here. Sundance has begun to heat up and despite buyer misgivings over the traditional commercial viability of many available titles, industry sources have suggested streamers are dictating the play primarily with subscribers in mind, and have no illusions about the risks of theatrical distribution.

The exceptions so far are Searchlight Pictures’ splashy deal for The Night House and Lionsgate’s Us buy on Ironbark. Other than that, a strong pattern appeared to be emerging fast. A second festival acquisition by Amazon Studios with Uncle Frank on...

Interest building on raft of available films heading into the week.

The future is here. Sundance has begun to heat up and despite buyer misgivings over the traditional commercial viability of many available titles, industry sources have suggested streamers are dictating the play primarily with subscribers in mind, and have no illusions about the risks of theatrical distribution.

The exceptions so far are Searchlight Pictures’ splashy deal for The Night House and Lionsgate’s Us buy on Ironbark. Other than that, a strong pattern appeared to be emerging fast. A second festival acquisition by Amazon Studios with Uncle Frank on...

Interest building on raft of available films heading into the week.

After a typically slow first few days at Sundance, the market has begun to heat up as Amazon Studios’ second buy of the festival on Uncle Frank demonstrated it is still prepared to spend big numbers on films it believes will prove popular with its subscribers.

While the amount it paid for worldwide rights could not be confirmed at time of writing, reports of low eight figures show that despite an avalanche of press on the theatrical box office flop of last year’s expensive Sundance acquisition Late Night,...

One of the people who’s made long-form television drama arguably more interesting as a whole than its mainstream big-screen equivalent in recent years, Alan Ball has underlined his superior comfort with that format in the few theatrical features he’s made to date. His screenplay for “American Beauty,” which Sam Mendes directed, was brilliant but glib; as writer-director of 2007’s “Towelhead,” he couldn’t quite make the complicated agenda of Alicia Erian’s novel gel in two-hour form.

His first such enterprise since, the somewhat autobiographically inspired “Uncle Frank,” hits a more successful balance between ensemble seriocomedy, Big Issues and a somewhat pressure-cooked plot. Set in the early ’70s, it casts the reliably deft Paul Bettany as a gay man forced to confront the Southern family to whom he’s stayed closeted — though they’ve managed to communicate tacit disapproval of his being “different” anyhow. Well-cast and gracefully handled,...

Chicago – You’ve seen him in many familiar roles over the years, from “Argo” to “The Mindy Project.” Character actor Chris Messina is memorable in all those roles, and currently is taking on Detective Richard Willis in the hot new HBO miniseries “Sharp Objects,” opposite Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson.

“Sharp Objects” is based on the first novel by author Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”). Camille Preaker (Adams) is a crime reporter in St. Louis, who is assigned to a murder story in her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri. She is a psychological mess, having just been released from a psychiatric hospital for various ills, and still cannot shake her acute alcoholism. The assignment comes with some baggage, as Camille’s small-town socialite mother Adora (Patricia Clarkson) is back in her life. Further complicating matters is Detective Willis (Chris Messina) as a Kansas City law officer brought in to help solve the murders.

While season 1 of Syfy's The Magicians ended on a particularly dour note, it doesn't appear that season 2 will be doing away with the dry, sarcastic tone it established. A new trailer for the second season has now debuted, and life appears to be looking up for Quentin, Alice, Penny, Margo and Elliot as they become Kings and Queens of Fillory. Check out the trailer below! The Magicians returns to Syfy on January 25, 2017. Based upon Lev Grossman's best-selling books, The Magicians stars Jason Ralph (A Most Violent Year, Aquarius) as Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant grad student who enrolls in Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic. He and his 20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real— and poses grave danger to humanity. Stella Maeve (Chicago P.D.), Hale Appleman (Teeth), Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie) and Summer Bishil (Towelhead,...

Lev Grossman’s “The Magicians” trilogy of fantasy novels has received warm reviews, sold many copies and, as of last year, made its way to television. Season two of the Syfy drama is set to premiere early next year, and the network has just released a new preview. Watch it below.

Read More: Syfy’s New Dystopian Drama ‘Incorporated’ Premieres Online — Watch

Like a stateside “Harry Potter” for 20-somethings, “The Magician” follows grad student Quentin Coldwater (Jason Ralph) as he enrolls in Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy and learns that there are dark forces in league against him and all other upstanding magical citizens. This preview for the second season combines new footage with behind-the-scenes interviews from the main cast.

Read More: ‘Van Helsing’: Vanessa’s New Friend Makes ‘A Deal with the Devil’ in Exclusive Clip

Stella Maeve (“Chicago P.D.”), Hale Appleman (“Teeth”), Arjun Gupta (“Nurse Jackie”) and...

"I understand why you're afraid. I have plans... you're part of them" Quentin Coldwater and company must stand together to survive fear, fantasy, and malevolent forces in the new trailer for The Magicians Season 2, premiering on Syfy in January.

"Based upon Lev Grossman's best-selling books, The Magicians stars Jason Ralph (A Most Violent Year, Aquarius) as Quentin Coldwater, a brilliant grad student who enrolls in Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy, a secret upstate New York university specializing in magic. He and his 20-something friends soon discover that the magical fantasy world they read about as children is all too real— and poses grave danger to humanity. Stella Maeve (Chicago P.D.), Hale Appleman (Teeth), Arjun Gupta (Nurse Jackie) and Summer Bishil (Towelhead, Lucky 7) also star in this one hour drama.

Groundswell Productions' Michael London and Janice Williams (Milk) will executive produce. John McNamara (Aquarius) and Sera Gamble (Supernatural), writers of the pilot,...

No film buff wants to see a promising, or prominent filmmaker pull a disappearing act a la Terrence Malick, (though it seems he isn’t keen to repeat another lapse like the one between Days of Heaven to The Thin Red Line), but whether they’re dealing with unforeseeable professional (endless pre-production woes, writer’s block) or personal issues, sometimes there is a considerable time between projects.

With John Cameron Mitchell, Charlie Kaufman, Rebecca Miller, Patty Jenkins, Kenneth Lonergan and more recently, Barry Jenkins recently moving out of the so called “inactive” period, we decided to compile a list of the top ten American filmmakers who, for the most part, we’ve lost sight of and would like to see get back in the director’s chair again. Most of the filmmakers listed below have gone well over half a decade without a substantial movement in this category. Here is...

Kaitlyn Bristowe is the Bachelorette! She charmed her way into the hearts of the Bachelor Nation – and nearly the Bachelor himself, Chris Soules, on season 19 of The Bachelor. Now Kaitlyn has begun her own journey to love.

I really, really wanted to chirp Ian ruthlessly, but I didn't have to. He did enough damage himself. I understand that it doesn't feel good when feelings aren't reciprocated, but try and exit with some dignity. I have nothing more to say about Ian; I've already wasted enough time on him. Men Tell All should be fun.

I know no one will ever...

Katherine McNamara, who has been cast as Clary Fray in Shadowhunters

Ahead of network upfronts next week, a number of channels put in notices for pickups and cancellations over the week. Fox’s Backstrom, CBS’ Battle Creek, The McCarthys, and Stalker, NBC’s Marry Me, One Big Happy, State of Affairs, and Constantine all became one-season shows. NBC’s About a Boy also got a cancellation notice this week, as did Fox’s The Mindy Project and The Following.

Fox has also given series orders to Minority Report and Lucifer, while CBS has picked up Supergirl. Among returning shows, The Simpsons got a two-season renewal, while IFC renewed Comedy Bang! Bang!, and The Playstation Network gave its original series Powers a second season. NBC also renewed The Mysteries of Laura and The Night Shift, as well as the sitcom Undateable, whose entire third season will consist of live episodes.

———

Syfy...

I would say that you’ve got time to get reading, but if you’re going to be interested in the fact that Syfy has picked up The Magicians, you’ve probably already done the reading.

On the other hand, if the series is handled well it could easily take off like a rocket when released, so maybe this is a good time to tell you to make sure you know what everyone will be talking about.

Following Quentin Coldwater, the story will unfortunately be compared to the Harry Potter series by anyone who only gets the most cursory summary of what happens. It’s an edgier, darker spin on the general idea of going to school and learning magic really does exist, and the series of books tackle themes that are not only more relevant to adults, but in ways that create a far richer world.

It’s going...

Mark Wahlberg has addressed the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack, insisting that "nothing is private these days".

A continuous stream of leaked information continues to be made public in the wake of the scandal, from Leonardo DiCaprio being labelled 'despicable' in an email chain to producer Scott Rudin calling Angelina Jolie a "minimally talented spoiled brat".

Wahlberg has now told Access Hollywood that executives should always address issues with talent face-to-face.

"Nothing is private these days and if you have something to say about somebody, you know, be able to say it to their face," he explained.

The actor went on to say: "I personally - because now I'm on the other side of things where I'm, as an actor and as a producer, I'm on the other side of the casting table - I've been in the room with studio heads and people who make real decisions who are often...

Mark Wahlberg isn't all that surprised by the Sony hack and subsequent unpleasant information released about executives' opinions on stars.

"Nothing is private these days and if you have something to say about somebody, you know, be able to say it to their face," Mark told Access Hollywood at the junket for his new movie, "The Gambler," when asked about the Sony hack.

The 43-year-old actor said he's seen executives speak very bluntly about talent when making decisions, so he wasn't shocked to see harsh opinions in leak e-mails.

Photos: Sexy Shots Of Mark Wahlberg

"I ...

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Ben Stiller is in talks to star in "I Am Chippendales," the true-life story of how the male dance club became one of the most famous adult entertainment shows in the world. The story focuses on the founding and expansion of the Chippendales nightclub by Paul Snider and Somen "Steve" Banerjee - who eventually pleaded guilty to attempted arson, racketeering and murder for hire and was found dead in his jail cell in 1994. Stiller will play Nick DeNoia, the former choreographer/partner who helped conceive the idea for the dance troupe with Banerjee and attorney Brian Nahin and played a big part in the expansion of the act on a global level. Alan Ball (Towelhead) will direct and write the script based on Rodney Sheldon's book.

Lucky 7 is yet another translation of British television for American audiences, and it’s about par for the course. While some efforts (mostly long ago and far away, with the exception of The Office) have come together to create long-lived, and beloved series, this isn’t an avenue of series creation that has a solid, recent track record.

Based on the British show, The Syndicate, it’s the story of a group of coworkers at a gas station who have been playing the same numbers for years, and fear for the jobs as rumors abound that the station is closing. All with their own monetary woes, which are laid out for us in great detail, this rag tag assortment of characters is about to find out that there are a lot of problems that come with their sudden riches.

The main trouble this show is going to have is in the translation of format.

While HBO’s soapy vampire drama True Blood is poised to end its series run after next season, the show’s creator is lining up a couple of feature film projects to direct. Alan Ball, who stepped down from his True Blood showrunner post last year, has lined up I Am Chippendales as his next directorial feature, after which he will helm his take on the genie and the lamp story I Dream of Gene. Deadline reports that Ball will also pen the script for Chippendales, which tells the stranger than fiction origin story of the titular club. Steve Banerjee co-founded Chippendales after immigrating to the U.S. and first working at a gas pump. As he became inundated with excess and riches, he grew paranoid and later hired a hit man to murder a Chippendales choreographer and two ex dancers. Hit the jump for more on Ball’s new projects.

Exclusive: As he prepares to end his long running vampire series True Blood, Alan Ball has found two film projects to sink his teeth into for his big screen return. Ball has scripted and will next direct I Am Chippendales, an adaptation of the Rodney Sheldon book that sounds like a mix between Magic Mike and Scarface. Ball will then direct I Dream Of Gene, a broad comic tale that’s Ball’s contemporary take on the genie and the lamp. Chippendales tells the story of Steve Banerjee, an immigrant who went from pumping gas in Culver City to running a high-end nightclub that evolved into Chippendales. As the male stripper concept became a phenomenon in the 1980s at the height of the women’s lib movement, Banerjee was consumed by excess and competition. After hiring a New York choreographer to polish the all-male dance troupe, Banerjee became wildly rich,...

At Comic-con, Aaron Eckhart talked to IMDb about his new interpretation of Mary Shelly’s literary monster in Lionsgate’s upcoming I, Frankenstein.

At the Comic-Con Lionsgate Panel, the big news may have been about Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire, but there was also a few updates on next year’s horror/sci-fi project I, Frankenstein. Written and directed by Stuart Beattie, the film is based on a graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux. Star Aaron Eckhart, who stars as the monster—who is named Adam in this version—gave an in-depth interview to IMDb.

IMDb: …so this role seems like the complete opposite from what I’d expect you to play.

Eckhart: It’s all the same stuff which is story. If I broke this down, it’s the same way I broke down Chad (In the Company of Men)or any other characters. It’s about a man who is unwanted,...

At ABC‘s upfront, there were a few things that the network wanted to make sure you knew. 1) They are really impressed with the idea that people are going to watch Rebel Wilson do just about anything, and 2) There isn’t anything they’re happier about than bringing you more episodes of television created by Shonda Rhimes.

On these notes, the network would love for you to know that more Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal are coming your way. These, ABC would like to impress upon you (as advertisers) are really good shows. Because… hellllooo… so many people watch them that we’re bringing them back. But wait, don’t think that you’re as excited as you can get yet, because if those are your favorite shows, then we have a new one for you to fall in love with, Betrayal.

Also on the agenda, and actually looking like they might be interesting,...

Chicago – ABC announced their 2013-14 schedule this morning and revealed an aggressive slate of new programming, including four new comedies and four new dramas. Tuesday nights will be entirely new, anchored by “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”. Their hit shows aren’t really moving other than “The Neighbors” slidng to Friday nights and “Dancing with the Stars” downsized to one night. They also revealed that they will air a special based on the hit Pixar trilogy, “Toy Story of Terror,” in October 2013.

Full schedule below with an asterisk for new show. New show descriptions below that. “Suburgatory” is being held for mid-season.

Monday

7pm “Dancing with the Stars”

9pm “Castle”

Tuesday

7pm “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”*

8pm “The Goldbergs”*

8:30pm “Trophy Wife”*

9pm “Lucky 7”*

Wednesday

7pm “The Middle”

7:30pm “Back in the Game”*

8pm “Modern Family”

8:30pm “Super Fun Night”*

9pm “Nashville”

Thursday

7pm “Once...

One of pilot season’s easiest calls is now official: ABC has picked up Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., geek god Joss Whedon‘s TV offshoot of the Avengers feature films.

What’s more, the first promo for the brand-new series is set to air this Sunday during the Once Upon a Time season finale.

Related | Fall TV Preview: Your Guide to What’s New

The cast for S.H.I.E.L.D. — which follows a worldwide law enforcement organization that polices the new, the strange and the unknown — includes ER alum Ming-Na (as former soldier Melinda May), Clark Gregg (reprising his big-screen Avengers...

The actor certainly likes a good chat – about cigars, women, 70s action heroes, Twitter, self-healing and his new role as a Us president. But he does have a weak spot

Aaron Eckhart's day began as they all do: an hour in the gym, then same again with a cigar. Jetlag cannot disrupt that, snow can throw no spanners. "I was outside at 6am smoking with my hood on, watching everyone come to work, freezing my ass off. That's how dedicated I am."

Then breakfast, another cigar, four hours of interviews and lunch in his room, Moby on the deck, steak on the plate. "I ordered it medium rare. I got it medium beyond." Did he finish it? "Oh yeah, every little bit. I am a carnivore." Then another cigar. He'd like to be puffing on one right now. At least three more will get sucked before he sleeps.

"They're excellent to study to,...

Summer Bishil (Towelhead), Anastasia Phillips (Skins), Christine Evangelista and Lorraine Bruce have been cast in lead roles in ABC’s drama pilot Lucky 7, from ABC Studios and Amblin TV. Written by David Zabel and Jason Richman, Lucky 7 is about seven employees of a service station in Queens whose lives are changed in many unexpected ways when they win a lottery jackpot. Bishil, repped by Buchwald/Fortitude and manager Ken Jacobson, Phillips, repped by Greene & Assoc. and manager Perry Zimel, and Bruce will play three of the seven employees, while Evangelista plays the “baby mama” of another winner, Matt. Parker Young and Chris Lowell have landed the co-leads opposite Geoff Stults in Fox’s single-camera comedy pilot Enlisted. Written by Kevin Biegel, Enlisted follows three very different brothers (Stults, Young, Lowell) working together in the Army. It centers on Sgt. Pete Waits (Stults) who, after a stint in Afghanistan,...

If you still don't know who Carrie Preston is, you're just not trying. The busy actress currently has featured roles on three high-profile shows, including HBO's "True Blood," in which she plays outspoken Merlotte's waitress Arlene Fowler, the girlfriend of Terry Bellefleur (Todd Lowe).

"We have not seen the last of Patrick, played by Scott Foley, who came on at the very tail end of Season 4 and cast a shadow on Terry's past," she tells Zap2it. "We weren't sure whether he was going to be benevolent or malevolent or what his reason for being there was, but you could tell Terry definitely had mixed feelings about it. And this season is very much about Terry's past."

Preston garnered even more attention this past season when she reprised her recurring guest role as Elsbeth Tascioni, the kooky but brilliant attorney who saved Will's (Josh Charles) bacon in "The Good Wife.

Toni Collette and Steve Carell are reconnecting onscreen for the first time since way, way back in 2006's "Little Miss Sunshine" in the latest project from Oscar-winning screenwriters Jim Rash and Nat Faxon... "The Way, Way Back."

Dysfunction isn't anything new to this pair; as you might remember, Carell and Colette played siblings in "Sunshine," the suicidal scholar Frank and frazzled mom Sheryl. This time around, Carell is taking on the role of the jerky stepfather to Colette's teen son, who, after one intense summer, finds the strength to give his crappy, cheating, drunken stepdad the what-for. This will be the "Descendants" screenwriting duo's directorial debut.

While Steve Carell is most famous for doofy characters like Michael Scott in "The Office" and lamp-loving Brick Tamland in "Anchorman," he does show off a slightly darker, troubled side in movies like "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" and "Dan in Real Life.

This makes a modicum more sense than casting him as Frankenstein, don't it?

Human Ken doll Aaron Eckhart has been tapped to star in The Drummer, which follows the last six years in the life of late drummer Dennis Wilson, a member of the iconic '60s band the Beach Boys, whose solo career is often buried under the shadow of his more famous (and nuts) brother Brian.

Beach Boys' Smile Sessons coming this fall

A reunion might be happening

This is Rivers Cuomo covering "God Only Knows"

The Beach Boys were known for their sunny surf rock, and it's kind of ironic that Dennis Wilson was the only member who actually surfed - not to mention his 1983 drowning in Marina Del Rey right after releasing his only solo album to rave reviews. It's all very sad.

Aaron Eckhart's one of those golden actors with a dark exterior...

Baba Booey!!!!! Sorry. That's a force of habit whenever discussing anything SiriusXM related. My mind instantly associates everything related to satellite radio with the Howard Stern Show, even when a story has nothing to do with it. Anyway, we're here to talk about Alan Ball and "True Blood". I think.

From the Press Release:

Academy® and Emmy®-Award winning writer/producer/director Alan Ball will be the featured subject of the next installment of Iconography, the series that honors the life, career, and impact of iconic personalities on SiriusXM’s 24/7 Lgbt channel OutQ, ch.108.

Ball has redefined storytelling with his seminal film and television works—-including American Beauty, "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood"-—peeling back the layers of dysfunctional families and their secrets and creating characters and storylines that leave an indelible impression on audiences around the world.

OutQ is airing vignettes featuring Alan Ball through the month.

Good news! Charlie Kaufman-esque rich, archly funny meta-comedy He Loves Me has begun filming in Los Angeles. Bona Fide Productions and Fox Searchlight Pictures officially announced a slew of A-listed thesps to star in the new dramatic comedy opposite leads Paul Dano and Zoey Kazan – Antonio Banderas, Steve Coogan, Elliot Gould, Chris Messina, Deborah Ann Woll and previously attached Annette Bening. In addition, The Daily Show veteran Aasif Mandvi is in talks to join the cast as well.

Helmed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), the film follows a writer (Paul Dano) who, in an attempt to overcome writer’s block, scribes a female character he thinks will love him. As the story goes, Dano actually births the character into existence. His real life girlfriend, Zoe Kazan, will embody the character brought to life. Kazan also penned the script.

Let’s start with the end – Mandvi will play Calvin’s agent,...

As Vanessa Hudgens looks to shed her tween star label, she's also seeking to distance herself from another, more unwanted notoriety.

Hudgens, best known for her turn in Disney's three smash hit "High School Musical" films, and now starring in Zack Snyder's fantasy femme fatale film "Sucker Punch," spoke to the La Times about her career and the nude photo scandal that has followed her for years. Private photos of Hudgens, posing nude, leaked out onto the internet in 2007, causing a ruckus for the young star. A second leak occurred in 2009, and this winter, more photos from the same set made their way to the public.

"It's just silly because I'm a very present person, and that's the thing that has been so in the past," she said. "The fact that somebody keeps bringing up the past is just selfish. I mean, it sucks. I already released a statement the first time it happened.

Screen Nsw has announced the 2011 participants for the script development workshop Aurora: Dust, Dog Eat Dog, On the Jellicoe Road, Falls Creek and One Hundred and Fifteen.

The selected filmmakers include a new project from Melena Marchetta (writer, Looking for Alibrandi), Michael Robertson (producer, Black Water/Road Train/The Reef) and the debut of editor Veronika Jenet as a producer.

The 2011 edition of Aurora includes a project from South Australia. The advisors will be Us producer Anne Carey (The American, Towelhead and The Savages); writer Andrew Bovell ( Lantana, Blessed, Head On and Edge of Darkness; producer/director/writer Jocelyn Moorhouse (How to Make an American Quilt, Peter Pan, A Thousand Acres, Proof and Muriel’s Wedding); and British producer Olivia Stewart (Brassed Off and Velvet Goldmine).

Former Aurora projects include Animal Kingdom, Somersault, Little Fish, Black Balloon, Prime Mover and Accidents Happen, and the upcoming Burning Man and Say Nothing.

#55. The Oranges Director: Julian FarinoWriter(s): Ian Helfer and Jay Reiss Producers: Anthony Bregman, Leslie Urdang and Dean VanechDistributor: Rights Available. The Gist: The Ostroff and Walling families are best friends and neighbors, living across the street from each other on Orange Drive. Prodigal daughter Nina Ostroff (Meester) returns home for Thanksgiving dinner after a five-year absence, newly broken up with her fiancé Ethan (Rosen). Rather than developing an interest in the successful son of her neighbors, Toby Walling (Brody), which would please both families, it’s her parents’ best friend David Walling (Laurie) that captures Nina’s attention. ....(more) Cast: Leighton Meester, Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Alia Shawkat, Adam Brody, Allison Janney and Oliver Platt List Worthy Reasons...: From the same family of films as Nothing is Private and American Beauty, my thinking is that plenty of folks will dig the tone of yet another BlackList screenplay I've got on this list.

In 1999 Alan Ball burst onto the scene with his script for American Beauty, that “love it or hate it” suburban dark comedy/drama that earned Ball an Oscar and had everyone talking about him. He then took a lot of the same themes and arguably dug a lot deeper into them with the critically acclaimed TV series Six Feet Under, which dealt with death in a lot of ways most other shows and movies were afraid to.

However, Ball’s most notable and widespread success is True Blood, the adult HBO vampire series which has almost as much critical praise lauded onto it as it has rabid fans. Ball has only ever directed one feature film before, the divisive Towelhead (a.k.a. Nothing Is Private) back in 2007, but it looks like we’ll soon be getting another directorial effort from…

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Alan Ball already won an Oscar for writing American Beauty and created the long-running HBO success Six Feet Under, but he may be more powerful than ever now thanks to the campy, sexy and ubiquitous True Blood, which he created. His directorial debut Towelhead didn't turn out that well either critically or commercially, but he's giving directing another shot thanks to Paramount, where they've picked up a pitch for Ball's untitled next project. According to Deadline Ball will direct and produce from a script from Elan Mastai, which is described only as "a dark comedy with a twist." Mastai has been keeping busy lately despite not having his name on any produced projects-- his Black List script The F Word is going into production at Fox Searchlight soon, he rewrote First Kiss for Warner Bros. and also is collaborating with This American Life producers Ira Glass and Alissa Shipp on...

Sexy Vampires, Unconvincing Southern Accents Unlikely To Feature Despite winning an Oscar for his first feature "American Beauty" a decade ago, writer-turned-director Alan Ball has been mostly absent from the big screen, with the exception of his directorial debut "Towelhead"--which was seen by approximately twelve people, none of whom were us. Instead, he's been a huge success as a writer/producer on two HBO series, "Six Feet Under" and "Twilight For People Who've Gone Through Puberty" "True Blood." However, it looks like Ball's set to make an imminent return to the big screen. Deadline reports that Ball's signed on to direct…...

True Blood creator Alan Ball will return to the big screen soon, as he’s just been set to direct a dark comedy written by Elan Mastai (Alone in the Dark). Risky Business reports that Ball developed the idea with Mastai and they recently pitched the project to Paramount. Ball will also produce the film through his Your Face Goes Here Entertainment production company.

This will be Ball’s second feature film directorial effort, after his debut with 2007’s Towelhead. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing 1999’s American Beauty, and is currently enjoying a wildly successful run as showrunner on HBO’s hit TV series True Blood. He also recently made a deal with HBO to develop another series, this one an adaptation of the Charlie Huston crime novel The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death. Ball is set to begin filming season...

Exclusive: True Blood creator Alan Ball is in the center of a pitch deal that just went down at Paramount. Ball will direct and produce an untitled project that will be written by Elan Mastai. The project, which Ball will produce solo through his HBO-based Your Face Goes Here Entertainment shingle, is a dark comedy with a twist, insiders say. Ball hatched the idea and fleshed it out with Mastai. Paramount acquired it in a bidding situation. Ball created HBO's True Blood and Six Feet Under and on the feature front, Ball made his directorial debut on Towelhead, also writing and producing the adaptation of the Alicia Erian novel. He won an Oscar for his feature scripting debut on American Beauty. Mastai wrote The F-Word, a project that made the Black List and is gearing up for a production start at Fox Searchlight with Alex Holdridge directing and Casey Affleck reportedly going to star.

HBO is reportedly considering turning their hit series “True Blood” into a feature film.

WhatsPlaying.com speculates HBO will air another season, maybe two, before adapting the property for the big screen. They were only able to get “sooner rather than later” as an answer though, plus the “chance” of series creator and showrunner Alan Ball stepping up to direct the film. So not much. Ball, who wrote American Beauty, has directed two episodes of “True Blood,” seven eps of his other HBO series (”Six Feet Under”), and the controversial film Towelhead.

“True Blood” only just completed its third season this month, so talk of transferring Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin) into a full-length feature may be premature. “Sex and the City,” the impetus for the recent push to turn HBO hits into theatrical releases, went six seasons before making the leap. “Entourage,” which is already headed for its own movie,...

Less than 48 hours after it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, James Gunn’s (Slither) Super has found its distributor. IFC Films has paid seven figures to secure the U.S. rights to Gunn’s everyman take on the superhero archetype. While IFC normally pays less for its deals, they apparently faced some stiff competition for the film from potential buyers such as Magnolia.

Super stars Rainn Wilson as an “average guy” who takes on the persona of “The Crimson Bolt” upon learning that his wife is having an affair. Starring alongside Wilson are Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Kevin Bacon. To learn more about Super, check out Steve’s video blog/review of the film which he recorded shortly after its Toronto premiere.

[Update: You can now check out the official press release after the jump.]

IFC Films Takes U.S. Rights To James Gunn’S Super First Big Sale During Toronto Film Festival

Star-studded cast includes Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page,...

Peanut butter and jelly, tequilla and lime, chips and salsa, me and Alex Skarsgård -- these things just naturally belong together. And so, it seems, do Alan Ball and HBO. The cable network has just ordered another pilot from the divine Mr. Ball: All Signs of Death. Surprise, it's a dark comedy! (I know you'd never have guessed.) The interesting part of the story is how this all came about. It seems Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels on which True Blood is based, gave Alan Ball a box of her favorite books and in the box was a book authored by Charlie Huston. Ball enjoyed the book and went on to read others and eventually met with the author, discovering along the way that he had worked with Huston's wife (on his movie Towelhead). The two men became friends and at some point Huston mentioned that he'd...

Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore will star in the independent political comedy "Grassroots." According to Variety, Stephen Gyllenhaal will direct the film, based on the memoir "Zioncheck for President" by Phil Campbell. Peggy Rajski will produce through Matthew Brady's Mrb Productions along with Peggy Case and Robin Gurland. Biggs will portray a recently fired journalist who reluctantly agrees to head the Seattle City Council campaign of his eccentric friend (Moore). The film will begin shooting in late June in Seattle. Gyllenhaal's credits include "Losing Isaiah," "A Dangerous Woman," "Waterland" and "Paris Trout." Rajski has been a producer on such films as "The Grifters," "Eight Men Out," "Towelhead" and "Home for the Holidays."...

Even if you haven’t watched True Blood, you’ve seen Carrie Preston before.

Carrie has the remarkable ability to transform herself – her looks and mannerisms – in each role she does. She’s been in Duplicity and My Best Friends Wedding with Julia Roberts. Doubt, Vicky Christina Barcelona and even an episode of Sex and the City that I totally remem

ber her in. She even played Ben Linus’ (her husband, the great Michael Emerson) mother on an episode of Lost! I could go on but my fingers will get tired from all the typing.

She’s currently filming season 3 of True Blood and she took some time out to talk to me about Broadway, how she prepares for a role and yes, True Blood.

So, you’re from Georgia and you got started doing plays as a kid?

Yeah, I’m one of those, like I like to say I’m a “lifer.

Producer Ted Hope will be honored with the Trailblazer Award at the 10th anniversary Woodstock Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 30-Oct. 4 in Woodstock, N.Y. Together with partner Anne Carey, he runs the New York production company This is that.

Oren Moverman's "The Messenger" will serve as the fest's opening night film. Miquel Arteta's "Youth in Revolt" has been tapped as the Centerpiece Film.

Other films have have been scheduled include Barbara Kopple's "Woodstock: Now and Then," Jonathan Demme's "Neil Young Trunk Show," Tom Dicillio's "When You're Strange: A Film about the Doors," Rebecca Miller's "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," Grant Heslov's "The Men Who Stare at Goats," Richard Linklater's "Me and Orson Welles" and Haim Tabakmaan's "Eyes Wide Open."

The Trailblazer Award honors creative and innovative pioneers in the art of the business of independent film. Hope will receive it...

Fox Searchlight's "The Wrestler" was named best feature at the 2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards. It also scored trophies for actor Mickey Rourke and cinematograper Maryse Alberti.

"The thing I love about the Spirit Awards is every film here is a passion piece; we all bled to get to this room," director-producer Darren Aronofksy said as he accepted the award with fellow producer Scott Franklin at the free-wheeling ceremony held Saturday in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica.

"I realized while doing special effects on a space movie that I really loved working with actors more than anything else," Aronofsky said about his decision to make a movie about a washed-up wrestler trying to reclaim his life.

In the weekend's first showdown between Rourke and "Milk's" Sean Penn, it was Rourke who triumphed as best male lead.

In a raucous acceptance speech, in which he freely lobbed...

The DVD of Towelhead takes an interesting perspective on bonus features. They knew going into the film that this was tough material, that the very title of the novel was a hot button, let alone the subjects it addresses. So instead of doing talking head Epk featurettes, extra footage and other promotional memorabilia, they tackle it head on.

On DVD: Towelhead

The only bonus features are panel discussions between Alan Ball and his actors, and Alan Ball and the author with spokespeople for Islamic Americans and Sikhs sitting in on each panel. These are not public Q&As. They are shot in a studio, almost like a pre-emptive defense to any viewers of the DVD.

In this episode of the /Filmcast, Dave Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley discuss their thoughts on this year’s deeply unsatisfying Oscar nominations, reflect on the intellectual bankruptcy of a Tom and Jerry movie, and vehemently debate the merits of Alan Ball’s Towelhead. We’re joined by special guest and /Filmcast favorite, actor Stephen Tobolowsky promoting the new Blu-Ray release of Groundhog Day.

Join us next week on Monday 9 Pm Est / 6 Pm Pst as we review Taken with Liam Neeson. As always, feel free to e-mail us at slashfilmcast[At]gmail.com or call us at (781) 583-1993.

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Shownotes Introduction (00:20) Welcoming Stephen Tobolowsky What Have We Watched David Chen (14:07): Waltz with Bashir, Max Payne Stephen Tobolowsky (22:07): The Class, Gomorra, The Tour, Masquerade (from Algeria), Ploning Devindra (32:58): Friday Night Lights, The Mentalist Adam (34:30): Lost, RocknRolla, How I Met Your Mother...

In this episode of the /Filmcast, Dave, Devindra, and Adam witness the self-destruction of Joaquin Phoenix, say goodbye to Laserdiscs, and discuss the status of Wolverine: X-Men Origins. Special geek/guest Elisabeth Rappe joins us from Cinematical and MTV Movies Blog.

As always feel free to send us your e-mails at slashfilmcast@gmail.com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next Monday night at 9 Pm Est / 6 Pm Pst as we review Alan Ball’s Towelhead (just released on DVD) with Groundhog Day actor Stephen Tobolowsky!

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Shownotes Introduction (00:20) Elizabeth Rappe from Cinematical and MTV Movies Blog What Have We Watched David Chen (03:14) : RocknRolla, Gomorra, Damages Devindra (11:10): Battlestar Galactica Premiere, Scrubs Adam (13:18): My Bloody Valentine 3D, [Shit movie of the week:] Airborne News Discussion (21:50) Terry Gilliam Working On The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (22:18) Pioneer Stops Making Laserdiscs...

There was a bit of an uproar back in the fall of 2008 when the Toronto Film Festival hit Nothing Is Private got its theatrical release, for its title had been changed after its festival appearance. It was now called Towelhead, which is kinda like calling a movie Nigger... or it would be, if more Americans understood that towelhead is considered derogatory among Arab-Americans, people who are mistaken for Arab by the kind of ignorant bigots who would call someone towelhead (such as Sikhs, who are Indian), and anyone who decries ignorance and bigotry no matter what their ethnicity, religion, or skin color is. Oh, are you shocked by my use of the word nigger? Then you understand how some people felt about the title of this film. And, indeed, the only extras on the new Region 1 DVD release of the movie are two roundtable discussions that include, in various combinations,...

Chicago – The time has come for another round-up, a collection of DVD and Blu-Ray titles that may have missed the front page in the Best Buy circular but that might be worth your attention. The DVD Round-Up is back (check out the first edition here and a few Blu-Ray Round-Ups here and here) with drama, comedy, TV, action, and even Hitler.

Nicolas Cage plays a killer in “Bangkok Dangerous,” Derek Luke a football player in “Friday Night Lights,” Aaron Eckhart a suburbanite in “Towelhead,” and Carmen Electra essentially herself in “Disaster Movie”. There’s something for everyone in the DVD Round-Up.

All of these titles were released on January 6th, 2009, unless otherwise noted.

“Bangkok Dangerous”

“The Hitman Has Become the Target.” Nicolas Cage stars in the remake of The Pang Brothers’ “Bangkok Dangerous,” a messy action film about Joe, a hired assassin caught in the middle of a hitman’s nightmare.