Nonfiction series, specials have H'wood aura

TCM's 'Moguls & Movie Stars' looks back at when Hollywoods studio system was in its infancy.At first glance, many of this year's Emmy nominees in the nonfiction categories are Hollywood through and through.Among the finalists for nonfiction series are "Biography," the long-running Bio Channel skein that often profiles celebs; "Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood," TCM's seven-episode look at the early days of Hollywood; and "Pioneers of Television," a four-part PBS series that features interviews with TV legends. "His Way," the HBO doc about veteran manager and producer Jerry Weintraub; and "Jaws: The Inside Story," Bio's feature on the thriller considered to be the first real summer movie blockbuster, are among the shows up for nonfiction special.So, are these entertainment-centric shows really just awards bait, designed to garner the TV Acad's attention during Emmy season?"Certain ones probably do appeal to voters or Hollywood insiders a little more than other people," says Kevin Bachar, an exec producer for both "Jaws" and the "Biography" episode on the late comedian John Belushi that was submitted for Emmy consideration. "Hey, listen, we all get our Variety and Entertainment Weekly, and we like to read about ourselves and find out who's doing what."But dismissing them only as opportunities for writers, directors and producers to garner inside-the-biz attention, according to the nominees, misses some key points: They're all well-done programs that resonate with viewers living well outside the 90210 ZIP code.Despite the second part of its title, "Moguls & Movie Stars" is a series not even remotely driven by film clips featuring A-listers, says writer and producer Jon Wilkman. Instead, it's a history of the U.S. film industry, from the late 1800s to the 1960s, as seen through the eyes of the men and women who built it."The Birth of Hollywood," the skein's second episode and the one that Turner Classic Movies submitted for Emmy consideration, covers 1907-20 and shows how the movie business was established in Southern California."The series is a history of Hollywood power, how it functioned and how it evolved over time -- from being this insignificant fad in the 1880s and '90s to being one of the major industries in the world," says Wilkman, who also is nominated in the nonfiction writing category. "We wanted to get beneath the surface, beneath the glitter to get a sense of what the reality of the business is, and the art of movies. That's what we were trying to do."Another history project, "Pioneers of Television," examines four popular TV genres -- crime dramas, science fiction, westerns and children's TV -- and features interviews with thesps who played iconic characters, among them Bill Cosby, Angie Dickinson, James Garner, Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner.The show's two Milwaukee-based independent producers, Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein, also sat down for what turned out to be final interviews with Stephen Cannell, Robert Culp, Peter Graves and Fess Parker."These pioneers are really at the headwaters of television," Boettcher says. "They started this trickle, this little stream, and everyone today who joins this raging river of content really kind of joins this river midstream. To me, it all goes to these early pioneers who started the current."One living legend, Weintraub, who added much to the current particularly in music and movies, tells his own story in "His Way," the HBO doc nominated for nonfiction special. The theme, Weintraub says, is about how ambition and determination helped him make a name for himself.And, yes, the guy who arranged concert tours for Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, and also produced the "Ocean's" movie trilogy, really did sell clothes on the side while stationed in Alaska during World War II."I never took no for an answer, and I always believed in what I did," he says, adding that his story has been repeated by countless others. It's just that his version includes some well-recognized players."To me, the meat of this movie is not about Hollywood," Weintraub says. "There are a lot of life lessons in it, and stories that resonate. There were a lot of extraordinary things that happened to a guy on the way up. I could have been working at General Motors. It's just who I am."In "Jaws: The Inside Story," Steven Spielberg recalls the challenges he faced as a fledgling movie director in 1975 and determined to shoot on the ocean instead of the predictably safe confines of a studio backlot. And perhaps most famously, the production used a mechanical shark that failed to work as intended."Sure, it's about the movie, but it's also about perseverance and not giving up," Bachar says about the doc, which was Bio's most-watched original special when it first aired July 2010. "Steven also talks about the anxiety and the struggle and how he thought he was going to lose his job. That's stuff anybody can relate to. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat. We all know what that feeling is like."ROAD TO THE EMMYS: REALITY, NON-FICTION & COMPETITION Nonfiction series, specials have H'wood auraSeries | Competition series | Non-fiction series | Non-fiction special| Hosts Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Weekend Receipts: Apes Holds Off The Help in Close Battle; Glee Flops

Hail Caesar! Again! Rise of the Planet of the Apes was the top choice for ticket buyers at the multiplex, becoming only third film this summer to lead the box office for two weekends in a row (Thor and Transformers: Dark of the Moon were the other two). Outside of the strong runner-up showing for The Help, the frame wasn’t as kind to newcomers: Final Destination 5 disappointed, 30 Minutes or Less lived up to diminished expectations and Glee: The 3D Concert Movie couldn’t even crack the top-ten. Your Weekend Receipts are here. 1. Rise of the Planet of the Apes Gross: $27,500,000 ($104,875,919) Screens: 3,691 (PSA: $7,451) Weeks: 2 (change: -50%) Credit for Rise of the Planet of the Apes’s strong box office showing goes to both Rupert Wyatt and Twentieth Century Fox: Wyatt, for directing a film that critics and fans embraced — something that likely kept the film from dropping the de rigueur 60 percent that most blockbusters tumble in weekend two — and Fox for finding the perfect release date for its burgeoning franchise. Apes would have probably gotten lost in both June and November, but August — with its genre-specific releases and diminished box office returns — was the Goldilocks calendar position: just right. 2. The Help Gross: $25,525,000 ($35,398,826) Screens: 2,534 (PSA: $10,073) Weeks: 1 Speaking of just right, give it up for The Help. The Tate Taylor-directed adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel lived up to its advanced hype, strong reviews (for the most part) and ‘A+’ Cinemascore to earn an outstanding $25.5 million over the weekend, and over $35 million since opening on Wednesday. That puts it ahead of the opening weekends for both Eat Pray Love and Julie & Julia, and could point The Help toward massive late summer grosses. (Note that The Help had the biggest per screen average of any film in the top-ten.) After all, from now until mid-September, there are precious few films coming out geared toward adults, and — most important — precious few geared toward adult women. 3. Final Destination 5 Gross: $18,400,000 (new) Screens: 3,155 (PSA: $5,832) Weeks: 1 Perhaps yours truly was a bit bearish about the box office chances for Final Destination 5, but even if that prediction was the highest of high watermarks for the reliable horror franchise, this is still disappointing. Keep in mind that each of the previous three Final Destination sequels opened bigger than the last entry, and that FD5 had some of the strongest reviews yet. Couple that with 3-D surcharges, and the fact that horror fans haven’t had anything to line-up for since Scream 4, and this opening should have been bigger. Not that it really matters: Final Destination movies are made on the cheap and still good for between $40 and $60 million overall at the domestic box office. See you for part six in 2013! 4. The Smurfs Gross: $13,500,000 ($101,545,660) Screens: 3,427 (PSA: $3,939) Weeks: 3 (change: -35%) It turns out it wasn’t all that silly for Sony to schedule Smurfs 2 on the calendar after all. The film crossed the $100 million threshold at the domestic box office over the weekend, and earned an additional $60 million in international territories for a ridiculous worldwide total of $242 million. With Spy Kids 4 as the only family film on the schedule until the re-release of The Lion King in 3D on Sept. 16, expect continued success. Pretty smurfing remarkable. 5. 30 Minutes or Less Gross: $13,000,000 (new) Screens: 2,888 (PSA: $4,501) Weeks: 1 In a vacuum, $13 million for an action comedy that features no major stars, a low budget, an R-rating and a mid-August release is actually great; by comparison, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World earned only $10 million on this weekend last summer, and that was rated PG-13. Unfortunately, this isn’t a vacuum — and $13 million for a film with Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride in starring roles, directed by Ruben Fleischer coming off Zombieland and released in the Summer of R-Rated Comedies is a bit disappointing. That said, figure 30 Minutes or Less to fight on as a home favorite for slackers and stoners in the years to come. 11. Glee: The 3D Concert Movie Gross: $5,700,000 (new) Screens: 2,040 (PSA: $2,794) Weeks: 1 Stop believing. [Numbers via Box Office Guru]

Susan Sarandon joins The Company You Keep

Robert Redford is busy filling out his cast for upcoming thriller The Company You Keep, with Susan Sarandon, Julie Christie and Richard Jenkins the latest to join the project.Based on Neal Gordon's novel of the same name, the film will centre upon Redford's man on the run, a former Weather Underground militant whose identity is exposed by Shia LaBeouf's pesky journalist. Having flown under the radar for some 30 years, it's something of a culture shock to find the FBI are right behind him at every turn.Sarandon and Christie will also play of ex-members of the radical leftist movement, whose safety is threatened when Redford is forced to break cover. Jenkins meanwhile will play a college professor with links to the wanted trio.Redford's cast is really beginning to take shape now, with the latest additions joining recent announcements Nick Nolte and Brit Marling in a powerhouse ensemble.Shooting begins on the project next month, with no release date confirmed as yet.Source: DeadlineWill Sarandon, Christie and Jenkins make for good company? Tell us!

Weekend Forecast: Will The Help Clean Up Final Destination 5?

Say hello to August and its snazzy genre-specific programming! The four wide releases this weekend cater to quarantined-off needs, meaning there’s something in theaters for your whole family — from mom (The Help) to stoner brother (30 Minutes or Less) to thrill-seeking sister (Final Destination 5) to kid cousin (Glee: The 3-D Concert Movie). Which film will wind up atop the box office come Sunday night? To the forecast! NATIONAL OUTLOOK · Final Destination 5: Fun fact: the last horror movie to hit theaters in wide release was Scream 4 back in April. Before that, it was Insidious — also in April. Which is another way of saying that unless you count Priest — you shouldn’t — horror fans have had precious little to see in theaters during the last four months. It’s because of that likely pent-up horror demand — plus 3-D surcharges — that Final Destination 5 could greatly exceed expectations over the next three days. Keep in mind, The Final Destination grossed $27.4 million during its opening frame in 2009, and that film was up against Halloween II — which siphoned off another $16 million of horror dough. The only other horror flick in theaters this weekend is Glee: The 3D Concert Movie. Even death can’t stop the Final Destination franchise. FORECAST: $31.9 million · The Help: August wouldn’t be August without a highly anticipated lady lit adaptation. On Aug. 7, 2009, Julie & Julia headed to theaters and added $20 million to its butter-soaked coffers; on Aug. 13, 2010, Julia Roberts grabbed $23 million in gelato money from Eat Pray Love. This weekend, The Help arrives, poised to succeed — clean up, if you will — in similar fashion. Since opening on Wednesday, the adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s bestselling novel has earned $5 million — though its bread-and-butter audience is unlikely to rush out for midnight showings (think: your mother). With strong reviews — something that helps when courting older audiences — plus already growing Oscar buzz, The Help could flirt with the $27 million that The Devil Wears Prada earned over its opening weekend in June of 2008. FORECAST: $26.9 million · 30 Minutes or Less: The Change-Up notwithstanding, this has been the summer of successful R-rated comedies. Into this barrage of money-earning f-bombs comes 30 Minutes Or Less, with slight box office expectations and somewhat little buzz (unless that buzz is about how the film was based on the real-life death of pizza delivery man Brian Wells). Actual question: Shouldn’t more people be excited for the reunion of Zombieland cohorts Jesse Eisenberg and director Ruben Fleischer? Alas! Comedy nerds will be out in full force, but is that enough to keep it from earning a relatively low number — at least compared to Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses and Bad Teacher? The guess here is no. FORECAST: $12.9 · Glee: The 3D Concert Movie: As the great — and apparently absent — Sue Sylvester said of Glee: The 3D Concert Movie: Stop believing. Even hardcore fans were disappointed in the second season of the Fox hit (which saw its ratings dwindle slightly in the spring), and the recent Ryan Murphy Scorched Earth press tour did nothing to engender goodwill to non-devotees. This one is preaching solely to the choir, and when it comes to box office that isn’t a good thing. FORECAST: $8 million REGIONAL OUTLOOK If you’re in the mood for critical acclaim, there’s Senna, Asif Kapadia’s documentary about Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, which opens in New York and Los Angeles. If you’re in the mood for love (and smut), though, buy a plane ticket to Austin or San Francisco. That’s where China Lion Film Distribution, Inc. will unveil 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy, “the world’s first erotic 3D film.” Suck it, Avatar! (Ew. Sorry.) Care to call your shot? [Photo from The Help courtesy of Dreamworks LLC/Dale Robinette]

'Smallville' Star Tom Welling Moves from CAA to WME (Exclusive)

Jason Kempin/Getty Images As Tom Welling, the actor who played Clark Kent/Superman on the CW's Smallville, looks beyond the recently-concluded show, his first move is to switch representation. Welling has signed with WME; he had been with CAA. Smallville, which ran from 2001 to 2011, starred Welling as a young, super-powered Kent. The series began on the WB before switching to the CW when the channel merged with UPN. It is the longest-running comic book-based series in TV history, with Welling rising to executive producer on the show. He also directed episodes as well. Welling was focused on the show but did veer off on several feature film tangents, appearing in 2003's Cheaper by the Dozen and the 2005 sequel. He was also an exec producer on the short-lived CW series Hellcats. Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Kit Tom Welling CAA WmE Smallville

OSCARS: Tom Sherak Wins Third Term As Academy President

Beverly Hills, CA Tom Sherak was re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tonight (August 2) by the organization's Board of Governors. This will be his third consecutive one-year term in the office. Sherak is beginning his ninth year as a governor representing the Executives Branch. He had previously also served as treasurer for the Academy. In addition, Producers Branch governor Hawk Koch was elected first vice president; Executives Branch governor Robert Rehme was elected to one vice president post and Writers Branch governor Phil Robinson was re-elected to the other vice president post; Short Films and Feature Animation Branch governor John Lasseter was elected treasurer; and Actors Branch governor Annette Bening was re-elected secretary. Sherak, a marketing, distribution and production executive with more than four decades of experience in the motion picture industry, is currently a consultant for Skydance Productions and Relativity Media. Previously, Sherak was a partner at Revolution Studios where he oversaw the release of more than 30 films including "Black Hawk Down," "Anger Management," "Rent," and "Across the Universe." Prior to joining Revolution, Sherak was chairman of Twentieth Century Fox Domestic Film Group and served as senior executive vice president of Fox Filmed Entertainment. Previously, he held various positions at Fox, including senior executive vice president, where he oversaw the distribution and post-production of "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Speed," and "Independence Day," among others. In 1990 Sherak was named executive vice president of Twentieth Century Fox. Prior to that he was president of domestic distribution and marketing for Fox, where he launched such films as "Romancing the Stone," " Aliens," "Wall Street," "Die Hard" and "Working Girl." He began his career in the industry at Paramount Pictures in 1970. Academy board members serve three-year terms, while officers serve one-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive terms in any one office.

Christina Norman To Detail OWN Exit In Essay As Part Of New Huffington Post Gig

Christina Norman, ousted as CEO of the Oprah Winfrey Network in May, will becomeexecutive editor of HuffPost Black Voices, a new site that the AOL Huffington Post Media Group is expected to launch later this week.Norman plans to kick off her new job, first reported by paidContent, by telling the story of her departure from OWN in an essay.Its a great lesson for women, that when one door closes, another one opens, said Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the AOL Huffington Post Media Group. There is enormous pressure on high-profile women to succeed, to constantly prove themselves. I met Christina in Los Angeles when she was the head of OWN. After she left, I asked her if she wanted to do something completely different.Norman was president of MTV prior to leading OWN. Mixed ratings momentum in its early going following its January launch led to her departure; after she left, Discovery Communications COO Peter Liguori stepped in as interim CEO. Last month, it emerged that Oprah Winfrey herself will add the CEO and chief creative officer titles at OWN.

Ousted OWN Boss Christina Norman Lands at America online Huffington Publish Media Group

NEW You are able to - After being ousted from her publish as Boss of OWN: The The famous host oprah Winfrey Network in May, Christina Norman has had about the role of executive editor of Black Voices, a brand new site the America online Huffington Publish Media Group is anticipated to produce in a few days, as well as develop content and video for the entire group, a spokesperson confirmed Monday. PaidContent had first reported Norman's role previously Monday, stating that she'll start her job having a Huffington Publish essay concerning the conditions of her departure from OWN. "It is a great lesson for ladies, that after one door shuts, a different one opens," the website cited Arianna Huffington, leader and editor-in-chief from the America online Huffington Publish Media Group, as saying. "There's enormous pressure on high-profile women to achieve success, to constantly prove themselves. I met Christina in La when she was the mind of OWN. After she left, I requested her if she wanted to behave different.Inch Inside a Web publish on Monday that introduced the launch of HuffPost Ladies and HuffPost PArents, Huffington stated she'd write much more about Black Voices later within the week. Norman was leader of MTV just before leading OWN. Mixed rankings momentum in the early going following its The month of january launch brought to her departure. After she left, Discovery Communications COO Peter Liguori walked in as interim Boss. Recently, it emerged that The famous host oprah Winfrey herself will prove to add the Boss and chief creative officer game titles at OWN. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Discovery Communications America online Arianna Huffington Huffington Publish