When Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert sat down at the end of 1993 to pick their 10 favorite movies of the year, they largely selected prestige, Oscar-bait films like The Piano, The Age of Innocence, The Joy Luck Club, and Schindler’s List. They skipped nearly all of the big multiplex hits of the year, including Jurassic Park, Sleepless in Seattle, and Mrs. Doubtfire, making an exception only for The Fugitive. It’s an honor they didn’t give to Die Hard in 1988, The Terminator in 1984, Aliens in 1986, or many other great action movies of the VHS era.
- 7/29/2023
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
The 1963 TV series "The Fugitive" was a massive success in its initial four-season run, and became something of a pop cultural touchstone. The premise was a grabber: Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) has been arrested and convicted for the murder of his wife, a crime he didn't commit. Dr. Kimble slips the authorities and goes on the lam, eager to track down the real killer and prove his innocence. All he knew was that the killer had one arm. On Dr. Kimble's tail -- the Javert to his Valjean -- was Lieutenant Philip Gerard (Barry Morse), who didn't much care if Kimble was guilty or innocent; he merely sought to apprehend him and let the law work itself out.
30 years later, "The Fugitive" would be adapted into a massively successful and acclaimed feature film starring Harrison Ford as Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones as the re-named Sam Gerard, a U.
30 years later, "The Fugitive" would be adapted into a massively successful and acclaimed feature film starring Harrison Ford as Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones as the re-named Sam Gerard, a U.
- 5/15/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Backstabbing. Ruthless. Two-faced. Revenge.
Those words appear in a towering font on the poster for the 1994 film “Swimming With Sharks,” behind an image of (now disgraced) actor Kevin Spacey screaming directly into the face of his co-star, Frank Whaley. The film gave audiences an unflinching look at Hollywood’s workplace culture — as it was then, before current efforts to eradicate toxic and inexcusable behavior.
Verbal and physical abuse, staplers and phones hurled at employees, 20-hour workdays, sexual harassment and rampant degradation all play out in the film, which was reportedly based on writer-director George Huang’s experiences under producers Joel Silver and Scott Rudin. “Swimming With Sharks” has become a touchstone for industry survivors, and Roku will unveil a TV series adaptation of the film on April 15.
In the nearly two decades since it was released, a subgenre has sprung up surrounding these backlot stories, especially in the post-#MeToo era.
Those words appear in a towering font on the poster for the 1994 film “Swimming With Sharks,” behind an image of (now disgraced) actor Kevin Spacey screaming directly into the face of his co-star, Frank Whaley. The film gave audiences an unflinching look at Hollywood’s workplace culture — as it was then, before current efforts to eradicate toxic and inexcusable behavior.
Verbal and physical abuse, staplers and phones hurled at employees, 20-hour workdays, sexual harassment and rampant degradation all play out in the film, which was reportedly based on writer-director George Huang’s experiences under producers Joel Silver and Scott Rudin. “Swimming With Sharks” has become a touchstone for industry survivors, and Roku will unveil a TV series adaptation of the film on April 15.
In the nearly two decades since it was released, a subgenre has sprung up surrounding these backlot stories, especially in the post-#MeToo era.
- 4/6/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels star Dominic Sherwood is starring in a Warner Bros reboot of its 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger action pic Eraser.
Eraser: Reborn was shot under-the-radar this summer with cast also including Jacky Lai (V-Wars), McKinley Belcher III (Ozark) and Eddie Ramos (Animal Kingdom). John Pogue (Deep Blue Sea 3) directed.
The film follows U.S. Marshal Mason Pollard who specializes in engineering the fake deaths of witnesses that need to leave no trace of their existence.
Producers are The Last of the Mohicans and First Knight producer Hunt Lowry and Patty Reed (Deep Blue Sea 3). Lowry has had a longtime connection with Warner Bros via his Roserock Films banner.
The movie, which is now in post-production, has been made for Warner Bros Home Entertainment for a probable release in spring 2022. We hear there will...
Eraser: Reborn was shot under-the-radar this summer with cast also including Jacky Lai (V-Wars), McKinley Belcher III (Ozark) and Eddie Ramos (Animal Kingdom). John Pogue (Deep Blue Sea 3) directed.
The film follows U.S. Marshal Mason Pollard who specializes in engineering the fake deaths of witnesses that need to leave no trace of their existence.
Producers are The Last of the Mohicans and First Knight producer Hunt Lowry and Patty Reed (Deep Blue Sea 3). Lowry has had a longtime connection with Warner Bros via his Roserock Films banner.
The movie, which is now in post-production, has been made for Warner Bros Home Entertainment for a probable release in spring 2022. We hear there will...
- 9/13/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Heidi Ferrer, a television and film writer known for her work on “Dawson’s Creek” and “Wasteland,” died on May 26, her husband Nick Guthe confirmed to Variety. She was 50.
Ferrer died by suicide after an ongoing battle with long-haul Covid-19. She first contracted the virus in April 2020 and saw her health worsen. By May 2021, she was bedridden due to constant physical pain and suffered from severe neurological tremors, in addition to other symptoms.
Born in Salinas, Kans., Ferrer made her way to Los Angeles by the late ’80s to pursue an acting career at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A few years later, she pursued screenwriting and sold her first spec, “The C Word,” to producer Arnold Kopelson, setting her down on a path that would lead to her 24 years as a member of the WGA.
In 1999, Ferrer served as a writer for several episodes of the hit teen drama “Dawson’s Creek” and “Wasteland,...
Ferrer died by suicide after an ongoing battle with long-haul Covid-19. She first contracted the virus in April 2020 and saw her health worsen. By May 2021, she was bedridden due to constant physical pain and suffered from severe neurological tremors, in addition to other symptoms.
Born in Salinas, Kans., Ferrer made her way to Los Angeles by the late ’80s to pursue an acting career at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A few years later, she pursued screenwriting and sold her first spec, “The C Word,” to producer Arnold Kopelson, setting her down on a path that would lead to her 24 years as a member of the WGA.
In 1999, Ferrer served as a writer for several episodes of the hit teen drama “Dawson’s Creek” and “Wasteland,...
- 6/17/2021
- by Haley Bosselman
- Variety Film + TV
Heidi Ferrer, a longtime member of the WGA who penned episodes of Dawson’s Creek, Wasteland and more, has died. She was 50.
Her husband, screenwriter, director and producer Nick Guthe, told Deadline she took her own life May 26 following an unremitting battle with long-haul Covid-19.
Ferrer contracted the virus in April 2020, subsequently seeing her health deteriorate steadily. By May 2021, she was bedridden and in constant physical pain, suffering from severe neurological tremors and numerous other worsening symptoms.
Born on May 28, 1970 in Salina, Ks, Ferrer initially set out to pursue a career in acting when she moved to Los Angeles in the in the late ’80s, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A few years later, though, she began to pursue screenwriting.
Without a college education, she managed to sell her first spec, The C Word, to Academy Award-winning producer Arnold Kopelson. Ferrer then continued to sell scripts and...
Her husband, screenwriter, director and producer Nick Guthe, told Deadline she took her own life May 26 following an unremitting battle with long-haul Covid-19.
Ferrer contracted the virus in April 2020, subsequently seeing her health deteriorate steadily. By May 2021, she was bedridden and in constant physical pain, suffering from severe neurological tremors and numerous other worsening symptoms.
Born on May 28, 1970 in Salina, Ks, Ferrer initially set out to pursue a career in acting when she moved to Los Angeles in the in the late ’80s, studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A few years later, though, she began to pursue screenwriting.
Without a college education, she managed to sell her first spec, The C Word, to Academy Award-winning producer Arnold Kopelson. Ferrer then continued to sell scripts and...
- 6/17/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lawrence Wright’s pandemic novel The End of October is published today by Knopf, and Scott Free is tactfully in the slow process of setting up a movie or limited series that Ridley Scott will eye as a potential directing project with his Scott Free producing. After all, it was Scott’s suggestion to Wright about six years ago that unlocked the idea, after Scott read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and asked Wright if the societal breakdown in an apocalyptic event could actually happen. Luckily, the breakdown depicted in Wright’s novel is much worse, as is the fast-spreading virus.
The timing is coincidental, but the Wright book coming to the market as a film or limited TV series hasn’t contained this level of ripped-from-the-headlines element since The China Syndrome got released and then two weeks later came the meltdown of the second reactor at the Three...
The timing is coincidental, but the Wright book coming to the market as a film or limited TV series hasn’t contained this level of ripped-from-the-headlines element since The China Syndrome got released and then two weeks later came the meltdown of the second reactor at the Three...
- 4/28/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
For Sunday’s Oscars 2019 ceremony, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic performed music by Oscar winner John Williams.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
SEEDirector Stanley Donen, dead at 94, was light on his feet and a movie musical heavyweight
Stanley Donen would have certainly been included, but he died on the weekend after the segment had been finalized (look for him on the 2020 show). Here is list of some of the people included in the Memoriam tribute for the ceremony (Academy members are indicated with ** by their names):
Susan Anspach (actor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (director)
Yvonne Blake (costume designer)**
Paul Bloch...
- 2/25/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Every year, during the in memoriam section at the Oscars, Hollywood celebrates the talent that has died over the last year and every year there are some glaring omissions.
This year, the biggest name missing was Stanley Donen, who co-directed Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly and helmed two of the most acclaimed musicals of the 1950s, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Funny Face. Donen died on Saturday at the age of 94. He won an honorary Academy Award in 1998.
Also missing was producer Arnold Kopelson, who died in October aged 83. Kopelson won the 1986 best picture Oscar for Oliver ...
This year, the biggest name missing was Stanley Donen, who co-directed Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly and helmed two of the most acclaimed musicals of the 1950s, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Funny Face. Donen died on Saturday at the age of 94. He won an honorary Academy Award in 1998.
Also missing was producer Arnold Kopelson, who died in October aged 83. Kopelson won the 1986 best picture Oscar for Oliver ...
- 2/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Every year, during the in memoriam section at the Oscars, Hollywood celebrates the talent that has died over the last year and every year there are some glaring omissions.
This year, the biggest name missing was Stanley Donen, who co-directed Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly and helmed two of the most acclaimed musicals of the 1950s, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Funny Face. Donen died on Saturday at the age of 94. He won an honorary Academy Award in 1998.
Also missing was producer Arnold Kopelson, who died in October aged 83. Kopelson won the 1986 best picture Oscar for Oliver ...
This year, the biggest name missing was Stanley Donen, who co-directed Singin’ in the Rain with Gene Kelly and helmed two of the most acclaimed musicals of the 1950s, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Funny Face. Donen died on Saturday at the age of 94. He won an honorary Academy Award in 1998.
Also missing was producer Arnold Kopelson, who died in October aged 83. Kopelson won the 1986 best picture Oscar for Oliver ...
- 2/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
While Academy Awards producers have strived for a much shorter ceremony this year, the annual “In Memoriam” segment will definitely remain. In fact this moment on Sunday’s 2019 event should be extra classy since Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic will be performing as part of the tribute.
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
Over 100 Academy members or film industry veterans died in the past 12 months. But which ones will be featured in the short segment? There are generally outcries each year from family members upset about people being left out. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam galleries for the year of 2018 and the newly-started gallery for 2019.
Virtually certain to be part of the montage are Oscar-winning directors Bernardo Bertolucci and Milos Forman, Oscar-nominated actors Carol Channing, Albert Finney and Burt Reynolds, director and actress Penny Marshall, executive producer and entertainment icon Stan Lee and many more.
SEEDana Carvey, Mike Myers, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand...
- 2/22/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Amid the chaos that was 2018, the show business industry lost some major players. There were icons of the big screen (Burt Reynolds) and TV, along with such legends as Marvel hero Stan Lee, sportscaster Keith Jackson and singer Aretha Franklin, to name just a few of the year’s high-profile passings.
Hollywood also lost groundbreaking producers, unforgettable writers, and executives.
Familiar actors including Joseph Campanella, Sondra Locke, Tab Hunter, John Mahoney, Charlotte Rae, Harry Anderson, Jerry Van Dyke, David Ogden Stiers, Verne Troyer and R. Lee Ermey also left us this year.
We also said goodbye to such influential folks including physicist Stephen Hawking, SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg, editor Anne V. Coates, Bambi animator Don Lusk, gossip columnist Liz Smith, Blockbuster founder Wayne Huzienga,...
Hollywood also lost groundbreaking producers, unforgettable writers, and executives.
Familiar actors including Joseph Campanella, Sondra Locke, Tab Hunter, John Mahoney, Charlotte Rae, Harry Anderson, Jerry Van Dyke, David Ogden Stiers, Verne Troyer and R. Lee Ermey also left us this year.
We also said goodbye to such influential folks including physicist Stephen Hawking, SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg, editor Anne V. Coates, Bambi animator Don Lusk, gossip columnist Liz Smith, Blockbuster founder Wayne Huzienga,...
- 1/1/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Looks like the once fiercely independent Sumner Redstone is going to be under the guardianship of the same court appointed lawyer who has ran Britney Spears’ affairs for years, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered today in a dramatic hearing.
Judge David Cowan told a Dtla courtroom this morning that he is granting the motion by the 95-year old media mogul’s grandson and Shari Redstone’s son for a guardian ad litem to be appointed
In public consultation with lawyers for Redstone’s ex-companion Manuela Herzer, the nonagenarian himself and his grandson Tyler Korff, Judge Cowan said that probate attorney Samuel Ingham, III will be offered the Gal post. With Redstone attorney and CBS board member Robert Kleiger looking on from the lawyer’s table in approval, Cowan said he would have the previously suggested Ingham contacted Asap to help oversee the tangled legal and potentially corporate matters...
Judge David Cowan told a Dtla courtroom this morning that he is granting the motion by the 95-year old media mogul’s grandson and Shari Redstone’s son for a guardian ad litem to be appointed
In public consultation with lawyers for Redstone’s ex-companion Manuela Herzer, the nonagenarian himself and his grandson Tyler Korff, Judge Cowan said that probate attorney Samuel Ingham, III will be offered the Gal post. With Redstone attorney and CBS board member Robert Kleiger looking on from the lawyer’s table in approval, Cowan said he would have the previously suggested Ingham contacted Asap to help oversee the tangled legal and potentially corporate matters...
- 12/17/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The bodies and the settlements at CBS keep piling up. There were two on Thursday alone.
Actress Eliza Dushku was secretly paid $9.5 million to settle her contract after she complained about sexual harassment from the star of “Bull,” Michael Weatherly, we learned in The New York Times.
This followed a revelation earlier in the day from Cybill Shepherd, the smart and sassy blonde on ’90s network television, that her show was canceled shortly after she rebuffed a sexual advance by CBS chief Les Moonves.
Also Read: CBS Paid Eliza Dushku $9.5 Million to Settle Sexual Harassment Claim Against 'Bull' Star Michael Weatherly
According to the Times, Weatherly made comments about Dushku’s appearance in front of the crew. She said he made a rape joke and a comment about a threesome.
What happened when she complained? Did a human resources professional consult with her and make Weatherly take sensitivity training?
Ha-ha,...
Actress Eliza Dushku was secretly paid $9.5 million to settle her contract after she complained about sexual harassment from the star of “Bull,” Michael Weatherly, we learned in The New York Times.
This followed a revelation earlier in the day from Cybill Shepherd, the smart and sassy blonde on ’90s network television, that her show was canceled shortly after she rebuffed a sexual advance by CBS chief Les Moonves.
Also Read: CBS Paid Eliza Dushku $9.5 Million to Settle Sexual Harassment Claim Against 'Bull' Star Michael Weatherly
According to the Times, Weatherly made comments about Dushku’s appearance in front of the crew. She said he made a rape joke and a comment about a threesome.
What happened when she complained? Did a human resources professional consult with her and make Weatherly take sensitivity training?
Ha-ha,...
- 12/14/2018
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
Lawyers hired by CBS have found cause for the company’s board of directors to deny former chairman and chief executive, Leslie Moonves, a $120 million severance package. This is according to a draft of a 56-page report obtained by the New York Times which details the findings of an independent investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against Moonves. Over the summer, The New Yorker dropped two bombshell reports detailing claims made by 12 women that Moonves sexually harassed or assaulted them, ultimately forcing Moonves to step down from his position at CBS in September.
- 12/5/2018
- by Amelia McDonell-Parry
- Rollingstone.com
Les Moonves has stayed largely out of sight since exiting his chairman and CEO post at CBS on Sept. 9 amid multiple accusations of sexual misconduct. But he stepped out for one of the first times — at least for an official event — with wife Julie Chen Moonves Oct. 11 to attend a funeral service for Arnold Kopelson, who passed away in Beverly Hills three days prior.
Moonves and Kopelson were longtime friends and business associates as the latter served on the CBS board of directors. (Before Moonves’ exit, Kopelson reportedly remained supportive of the chairman even after the ...
Moonves and Kopelson were longtime friends and business associates as the latter served on the CBS board of directors. (Before Moonves’ exit, Kopelson reportedly remained supportive of the chairman even after the ...
- 10/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Back in the 1980s, before I became a Variety “mugg” (as journalists were once known in our parlance here), I was an ink-stained wretch, aka an indie screenwriter with a pirate picture getting peddled to the buyers in the Cannes market. And before he became an Oscar best picture-winning producer (for Oliver Stone’s “Platoon” in 1987), Arnold Kopelson, who died Oct. 8 at his home in Beverly Hills at age 83, was already a Cannes market big shot, running his fast-growing international shingle Inter-Ocean Film Sales.
Established in the early ’70s, Kopelson’s firm was a two-person outfit perhaps better known as “Arnold and Anne,” as Kopelson and wife-to-be Anne Feinberg were, along with Dino De Laurentiis and the Salkinds (Ilya and father Alexander), pioneers of presales of North American films to independent distributors all over the world. One early success that helped catapult Inter-Ocean to the top ranks of sellers was...
Established in the early ’70s, Kopelson’s firm was a two-person outfit perhaps better known as “Arnold and Anne,” as Kopelson and wife-to-be Anne Feinberg were, along with Dino De Laurentiis and the Salkinds (Ilya and father Alexander), pioneers of presales of North American films to independent distributors all over the world. One early success that helped catapult Inter-Ocean to the top ranks of sellers was...
- 10/16/2018
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Kopelson helped start the international sales boom of the 80s and won an Oscar for Platoon.
Oscar-winning producer Arnold Kopelson has died of natural causes in Beverly Hills aged 83.
Brooklyn-born Kopelson entered the industry as an entertainment and banking lawyer and in 1972 founded Inter-Ocean Film Sales, a pioneer in the then burgeoning business of selling independent Us films to distributors around the world.
Kopelson became a producer himself in the late seventies, making films including Falling Down, The Fugitive and Seven and winning the best picture Oscar in 1987 for Oliver Stone-directed Vietnam War drama Platoon.
In 1994, Kopelson was named...
Oscar-winning producer Arnold Kopelson has died of natural causes in Beverly Hills aged 83.
Brooklyn-born Kopelson entered the industry as an entertainment and banking lawyer and in 1972 founded Inter-Ocean Film Sales, a pioneer in the then burgeoning business of selling independent Us films to distributors around the world.
Kopelson became a producer himself in the late seventies, making films including Falling Down, The Fugitive and Seven and winning the best picture Oscar in 1987 for Oliver Stone-directed Vietnam War drama Platoon.
In 1994, Kopelson was named...
- 10/9/2018
- ScreenDaily
Arnold Kopelson, the producer of films including the Oscar-winning Platoon and The Fugitive, and a CBS Corp board member from 2007 until last month, died at his home in Beverly Hills today. He was 83.
His death was announced by his wife and business partner, Anne Kopelson. CBS confirmed the news.
“Arnold was a man of exceptional talent whose legacy will long survive him. He also, of course, was a highly dedicated CBS board member for more than 10 years,” CBS said Monday. “Our hearts go out to Anne and his family.”
Kopelson was born on February 14, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY. He attended and then later graduated from New York University. He went on to earn a law degree at New York Law School. He began his law career in New York, Kopelson acted as special counsel in entertainment lending transactions to several institutions.
He would go on to partner with his future wife...
His death was announced by his wife and business partner, Anne Kopelson. CBS confirmed the news.
“Arnold was a man of exceptional talent whose legacy will long survive him. He also, of course, was a highly dedicated CBS board member for more than 10 years,” CBS said Monday. “Our hearts go out to Anne and his family.”
Kopelson was born on February 14, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY. He attended and then later graduated from New York University. He went on to earn a law degree at New York Law School. He began his law career in New York, Kopelson acted as special counsel in entertainment lending transactions to several institutions.
He would go on to partner with his future wife...
- 10/8/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Arnold Kopelson, the Oscar-winning producer behind films such as “Platoon,” “The Fugitive” and “Se7en,” has died. He was 83.
Kopelson died in his home in Beverly Hills Monday, a representative at Kopelson Entertainment tells TheWrap. He is survived by his wife and producing partner of 42 years, Anne Kopelson, as well as three children, Peter, Evan and Stephanie.
Kopelson won an Oscar in 1986 for Best Picture for “Platoon” directed by Oliver Stone, and was nominated again for Andrew Davis’ “The Fugitive” in 1993. His last film was 2004’s “Twisted” at Paramount with Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia. In all, he produced 29 features.
Also Read: Is 'The Fugitive' Based on a True Story? Not So Fast
Born in Brooklyn, Kopelson graduated from New York University and earned a law degree from New York Law School. He began his career with the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in...
Kopelson died in his home in Beverly Hills Monday, a representative at Kopelson Entertainment tells TheWrap. He is survived by his wife and producing partner of 42 years, Anne Kopelson, as well as three children, Peter, Evan and Stephanie.
Kopelson won an Oscar in 1986 for Best Picture for “Platoon” directed by Oliver Stone, and was nominated again for Andrew Davis’ “The Fugitive” in 1993. His last film was 2004’s “Twisted” at Paramount with Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson and Andy Garcia. In all, he produced 29 features.
Also Read: Is 'The Fugitive' Based on a True Story? Not So Fast
Born in Brooklyn, Kopelson graduated from New York University and earned a law degree from New York Law School. He began his career with the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in...
- 10/8/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Arnold Kopelson, the Oscar-winning producer of such films as “Platoon” and “The Fugitive,” died Monday at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 83.
Kopelson’s death was confirmed Monday his wife and business partner of 42 years, Anne Kopelson.
Anne Kopelson said her husband was a consummate producer who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to every film he produced over his long career.
“He loved what he did,” Kopelson told Variety. “He loved dealing with people in making movies and he had a very, very big heart.”
In addition to his wife, Kopelson’s survivors include three children, Peter, Evan and Stephanie.
More to come...
Kopelson’s death was confirmed Monday his wife and business partner of 42 years, Anne Kopelson.
Anne Kopelson said her husband was a consummate producer who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to every film he produced over his long career.
“He loved what he did,” Kopelson told Variety. “He loved dealing with people in making movies and he had a very, very big heart.”
In addition to his wife, Kopelson’s survivors include three children, Peter, Evan and Stephanie.
More to come...
- 10/8/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Arnold Kopelson, the Oscar-winning producer behind such features as Platoon, Seven and The Fugitive who pioneered the practice of presales in motion pictures, died Monday in his Beverly Hills home of natural causes, his wife, Anne Kopelson, said. He was 83.
Kopelson was a rare producer who had the knack of making big-budget action movies as well as smaller, more intellectually challenging films. He won the best picture trophy for Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986) and was nominated again for Andrew Davis' The Fugitive (1993), and His features received 17 Oscar nominations and amassed more than $3 billion in ...
Kopelson was a rare producer who had the knack of making big-budget action movies as well as smaller, more intellectually challenging films. He won the best picture trophy for Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986) and was nominated again for Andrew Davis' The Fugitive (1993), and His features received 17 Oscar nominations and amassed more than $3 billion in ...
- 10/8/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Arnold Kopelson, the Oscar-winning producer behind such features as Platoon, Seven and The Fugitive who pioneered the practice of presales in motion pictures, died Monday in his Beverly Hills home of natural causes, his wife, Anne Kopelson, said. He was 83.
Kopelson was a rare producer who had the knack of making big-budget action movies as well as smaller, more intellectually challenging films. He won the best picture trophy for Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986) and was nominated again for Andrew Davis' The Fugitive (1993), and His features received 17 Oscar nominations and amassed more than $3 billion in ...
Kopelson was a rare producer who had the knack of making big-budget action movies as well as smaller, more intellectually challenging films. He won the best picture trophy for Oliver Stone's Platoon (1986) and was nominated again for Andrew Davis' The Fugitive (1993), and His features received 17 Oscar nominations and amassed more than $3 billion in ...
- 10/8/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The CBS board’s support for Leslie Moonves finally ran out following the revelation that he tried to buy an accuser’s silence by getting her a job at the network, according to the New York Times.
The Times article, citing unnamed senior sources, claims that multiple board members were determined to support Moonves until they were made aware of this deception and understood that the unnamed accuser was prepared to go public with her allegations.
The story claims up until that point multiple board members had staunchly supported Moonves, with one — William Cohen — reportedly saying during a late July conference call, “We are going to stay in this meeting until midnight if we need to until we get an agreement that we stand 100 percent behind our C.E.O., and there will be no change in his status.”
Board member and producer Arnold Kopelson, who won Best Picture Oscar for Platoon...
The Times article, citing unnamed senior sources, claims that multiple board members were determined to support Moonves until they were made aware of this deception and understood that the unnamed accuser was prepared to go public with her allegations.
The story claims up until that point multiple board members had staunchly supported Moonves, with one — William Cohen — reportedly saying during a late July conference call, “We are going to stay in this meeting until midnight if we need to until we get an agreement that we stand 100 percent behind our C.E.O., and there will be no change in his status.”
Board member and producer Arnold Kopelson, who won Best Picture Oscar for Platoon...
- 9/13/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
After Sunday’s announcement that Les Moonves was out as CBS CEO amid claims of sexual harassment and the months-long legal battles between the company and the Redstone family-dominated National Amusements would end, the courtroom drama is now officially over.
“Whereas, the Parties have reached a settlement to resolve the Litigation,” declared a short and to-the-point filing Monday in Delaware court (read it here). “Pursuant to Court of Chancery Rule 41(a)(1)(ii), the Parties’ claims in the Litigation are dismissed with prejudice as to the Parties only,” the four-page voluntary dismissal adds, after laying out the litany of legal salvos the case produced.
It means that the breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit filed in May by CBS over corporate control and a possible reunification with Viacom (the latter plan advocated by Nai president and CBS Vice Chair Shari Redstone) is done like dinner. Despite the trickle of now-unsealed documents onto the court docket,...
“Whereas, the Parties have reached a settlement to resolve the Litigation,” declared a short and to-the-point filing Monday in Delaware court (read it here). “Pursuant to Court of Chancery Rule 41(a)(1)(ii), the Parties’ claims in the Litigation are dismissed with prejudice as to the Parties only,” the four-page voluntary dismissal adds, after laying out the litany of legal salvos the case produced.
It means that the breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit filed in May by CBS over corporate control and a possible reunification with Viacom (the latter plan advocated by Nai president and CBS Vice Chair Shari Redstone) is done like dinner. Despite the trickle of now-unsealed documents onto the court docket,...
- 9/11/2018
- by Dominic Patten, Dade Hayes and Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Two months shy of his 80th birthday, music industry veteran Doug Morris is vacating his seat on CBS Corp.’s board of directors. The announcement came Sept. 9 on the heels of news that Les Moonves was stepping down as chairman and CEO of CBS amid a cascade of sexual assault allegations.
Morris, the only executive to have held a chief position at each of the three major music groups, joined the board in 2007 when he was chairman and CEO of Vivendi’s Umg. Last year Morris collected some $332,000 in compensation and stock, according to an SEC filing by CBS, for his service on the board.
Morris spent 2011 through 2017 as CEO of Sony Music, home to Adele, Bruce Springsteen and Tony Bennett, among many others. His first ascent to the top of the C-suite came in 1994 when Morris took on the role of president and COO of Warner Music U.S.
Morris, the only executive to have held a chief position at each of the three major music groups, joined the board in 2007 when he was chairman and CEO of Vivendi’s Umg. Last year Morris collected some $332,000 in compensation and stock, according to an SEC filing by CBS, for his service on the board.
Morris spent 2011 through 2017 as CEO of Sony Music, home to Adele, Bruce Springsteen and Tony Bennett, among many others. His first ascent to the top of the C-suite came in 1994 when Morris took on the role of president and COO of Warner Music U.S.
- 9/10/2018
- by Shirley Halperin
- Variety Film + TV
CBS must work to put its former CEO, Leslie Moonves, in the past. To do so, it has hired a new slate of directors who have a fair amount of expertise in peering into the future.
CBS’ new directors include an attorney who specializes in mergers and acquisitions; a former top Wall Street investment banker; the CEO of a toy company that has worked to expand into entertainment; an expert in corporate transformation; a veteran entertainment-industry executive; and the former CEO of Time Warner. They take new roles as the company – the owner of what is one of the nation’s best known TV networks – attempts to move forward after Moonves left in the wake of multiple women levying serious allegations of sexual harassment against him and as the company grapples with a new world in which digital giants are outmaneuvering many of the entertainment’s traditional bellwethers.
Candace Beinecke...
CBS’ new directors include an attorney who specializes in mergers and acquisitions; a former top Wall Street investment banker; the CEO of a toy company that has worked to expand into entertainment; an expert in corporate transformation; a veteran entertainment-industry executive; and the former CEO of Time Warner. They take new roles as the company – the owner of what is one of the nation’s best known TV networks – attempts to move forward after Moonves left in the wake of multiple women levying serious allegations of sexual harassment against him and as the company grapples with a new world in which digital giants are outmaneuvering many of the entertainment’s traditional bellwethers.
Candace Beinecke...
- 9/10/2018
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
CBS has made it official: Leslie Moonves is stepping down as chairman-ceo amid a cascade of sexual assault allegations, and CBS and National Amusements Inc. have settled the legal battle that erupted in May over control of the company.
CBS chief operating officer Joe Ianniello has been named interim CEO of the company. The shakeup at the top includes the addition of six new board members to the 14-member CBS board, which has been at odds with Nai.
“CBS is an organization of talented and dedicated people who have created one of the most successful media companies in the world,” said Shari Redstone, CBS vice chair and president of Nai. “Today’s resolution will benefit all shareholders, allowing us to focus on the business of running CBS – and transforming it for the future. We are confident in Joe’s ability to serve as acting CEO and delighted to welcome our new directors,...
CBS chief operating officer Joe Ianniello has been named interim CEO of the company. The shakeup at the top includes the addition of six new board members to the 14-member CBS board, which has been at odds with Nai.
“CBS is an organization of talented and dedicated people who have created one of the most successful media companies in the world,” said Shari Redstone, CBS vice chair and president of Nai. “Today’s resolution will benefit all shareholders, allowing us to focus on the business of running CBS – and transforming it for the future. We are confident in Joe’s ability to serve as acting CEO and delighted to welcome our new directors,...
- 9/9/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Comparisons to the Hundred Years’ War that intermittently raged in medieval Europe may not be entirely apt yet, but there were a series of legal moves on both sides of the country today in the hostilities over nearly 100-year old media mogul Sumner Redstone’s mental capacity that sure felt like a battle royale.
Eventually seeing an all but mutually agreed upon motion authorizing discovery denied, a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court this morning presided over lawyers for the elder Redstone and his former companion Manuela Herzer as they faced off again. Their joust was over the need to determine the true state of the 95-year-old Redstone, and whether he really know what’s the business being conducted in his name.
At almost the same time today in Delaware, there were a series of redacted and sealed filings related to board member documents, executive text messaging and a recent...
Eventually seeing an all but mutually agreed upon motion authorizing discovery denied, a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court this morning presided over lawyers for the elder Redstone and his former companion Manuela Herzer as they faced off again. Their joust was over the need to determine the true state of the 95-year-old Redstone, and whether he really know what’s the business being conducted in his name.
At almost the same time today in Delaware, there were a series of redacted and sealed filings related to board member documents, executive text messaging and a recent...
- 8/30/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The law of averages said it had to happened one day amidst all the lawsuits, counter-claims and machinations of corporate control that have swirled around Sumner Redstone the past few years – the lawyers all agree on something.
Calling it “truly a miracle in this case,” Ronald Richards, the attorney for the 95-year old media mogul’s former companion says now that “Redstone’s counsel has agreed to testify at the evidentiary and Redstone has agreed to have an evidentiary hearing” the court should grant its motion and get this part of the party started.
With Redstone’s main attorney and CBS board member Robert Klieger signing off earlier this week on the probe, everyone is basically singing from the same choir book now on looking into Sumner’s mental capacity – though with very different endgames. Regardless, the hearing in this latest incarnation of Manuela Herzer’s three-year, multi-suit quest to...
Calling it “truly a miracle in this case,” Ronald Richards, the attorney for the 95-year old media mogul’s former companion says now that “Redstone’s counsel has agreed to testify at the evidentiary and Redstone has agreed to have an evidentiary hearing” the court should grant its motion and get this part of the party started.
With Redstone’s main attorney and CBS board member Robert Klieger signing off earlier this week on the probe, everyone is basically singing from the same choir book now on looking into Sumner’s mental capacity – though with very different endgames. Regardless, the hearing in this latest incarnation of Manuela Herzer’s three-year, multi-suit quest to...
- 8/28/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood and Wall Street have long wondered how much Sumner Redstone really knows about what is being done and said in his name. Now, thanks to an irate filing Monday by lawyers for the rarely seen 95-year-old media mogul and the legal tenacity of his former companion Manula Herzer, by the end of the week we might know whether we will finally get a glimpse at the real capacity of the elder Redstone.
“Although Herzer has no legal entitlement to the evidentiary hearing and capacity
determination she requests in her motion, this sideshow must end,” Redstone attorney Robert Klieger said in an amended opposition filing in Los Angeles Superior Court, noting the August 21 motion from Herzer’s side.
“For that reason, if the Court is so inclined, Redstone does not object to Herzer’s request for discovery and an evidentiary hearing on Redstone’s capacity, so long as his health,...
“Although Herzer has no legal entitlement to the evidentiary hearing and capacity
determination she requests in her motion, this sideshow must end,” Redstone attorney Robert Klieger said in an amended opposition filing in Los Angeles Superior Court, noting the August 21 motion from Herzer’s side.
“For that reason, if the Court is so inclined, Redstone does not object to Herzer’s request for discovery and an evidentiary hearing on Redstone’s capacity, so long as his health,...
- 8/28/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Sumner Redstone’s attorneys have agreed to allow a hearing on whether the 95-year-old mogul is mentally capable of pursuing litigation against Manuela Herzer, his former companion.
Redstone’s attorneys filed a motion Monday in which they agreed to permit Herzer’s attorneys to obtain his medical records, conduct depositions of his doctors and nurses, and obtain an iPhone video of Redstone recently shot by CBS board member Arnold Kopelson. The attorneys said they would continue to oppose any move to take Redstone’s deposition.
Redstone’s attorneys sued Herzer in April, seeking to confirm the removal of Herzer from his trust. Herzer’s attorneys filed a demurrer to the suit, which was denied, and then filed a motion arguing that Redstone cannot proceed with the litigation because he is unaware of it.
“Redstone is not calling any shots and is not directing anything,” wrote Herzer’s attorneys.
In response,...
Redstone’s attorneys filed a motion Monday in which they agreed to permit Herzer’s attorneys to obtain his medical records, conduct depositions of his doctors and nurses, and obtain an iPhone video of Redstone recently shot by CBS board member Arnold Kopelson. The attorneys said they would continue to oppose any move to take Redstone’s deposition.
Redstone’s attorneys sued Herzer in April, seeking to confirm the removal of Herzer from his trust. Herzer’s attorneys filed a demurrer to the suit, which was denied, and then filed a motion arguing that Redstone cannot proceed with the litigation because he is unaware of it.
“Redstone is not calling any shots and is not directing anything,” wrote Herzer’s attorneys.
In response,...
- 8/28/2018
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
A video of Sumner Redstone that surfaced as part of the CBS-National Amusements court battle is being cited in a different dispute — one involving the aging mogul’s former companion.
Manuela Herzer has asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan to revisit the question of Redstone’s mental capacity, claiming it’s key to determining whether she was wrongly denied a chunk of the mogul’s fortune.
A hearing has been set for August 30 to consider her request for discovery.
Herzer cites the video to make her case that the 95-year-old Redstone is incapable of making his own decisions. That video, shot by movie producer Arnold Kopelson, is expected to be used to bolster CBS’ claim that the elder Redstone no longer is in charge of National Amusements, the family’s holding company.
Redstone’s former companion told the court that she expects Kopelson to testify that Redstone is “unable to communicate,...
Manuela Herzer has asked Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan to revisit the question of Redstone’s mental capacity, claiming it’s key to determining whether she was wrongly denied a chunk of the mogul’s fortune.
A hearing has been set for August 30 to consider her request for discovery.
Herzer cites the video to make her case that the 95-year-old Redstone is incapable of making his own decisions. That video, shot by movie producer Arnold Kopelson, is expected to be used to bolster CBS’ claim that the elder Redstone no longer is in charge of National Amusements, the family’s holding company.
Redstone’s former companion told the court that she expects Kopelson to testify that Redstone is “unable to communicate,...
- 8/21/2018
- by Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Sumner Redstone’s former companion Manuela Herzer is trying once again to have a judge rule on the question of the aging mogul’s mental capacity.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan has set an Aug. 30 hearing for Herzer’s motion that discovery into Redstone’s mental capacity is crucial to settling the question of whether she was wrongfully denied a portion of Redstone’s fortune. Herzer’s motion cites the separate lawsuit between CBS Corp. and Redstone’s National Amusements Inc. holding company unfolding in Delaware court as more support for her claim that Sumner Redstone is being manipulated by his daughter, National Amusements president Shari Redstone, and others.
Herzer’s motion cites court filings that have emerged in the CBS-Nai case that seek to make the case that Sumner Redstone, 95, is not mentally capable of making decisions on behalf of Nai. Herzer specifically points to...
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cowan has set an Aug. 30 hearing for Herzer’s motion that discovery into Redstone’s mental capacity is crucial to settling the question of whether she was wrongfully denied a portion of Redstone’s fortune. Herzer’s motion cites the separate lawsuit between CBS Corp. and Redstone’s National Amusements Inc. holding company unfolding in Delaware court as more support for her claim that Sumner Redstone is being manipulated by his daughter, National Amusements president Shari Redstone, and others.
Herzer’s motion cites court filings that have emerged in the CBS-Nai case that seek to make the case that Sumner Redstone, 95, is not mentally capable of making decisions on behalf of Nai. Herzer specifically points to...
- 8/20/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Movie producer Arnold Kopelson denied making a video recording of Sumner Redstone in secret in an affidavit unveiled Friday in connection with CBS’ lawsuit against its controlling shareholder, National Amusements Inc.
In the affidavit, which is redacted in parts, Kopelson, a member of the CBS Corp. board of directors, asserts that he took a short video of Redstone with his iPhone held at “eye level” and in “plain view” of three nurses attending to Redstone. “There was nothing secretive about this video recording at all,” Kopelson said. Kopelson describes the recording as “an attempted conversation with (Redstone) to memorialize his physical appearance and his speech.”
The Kopelson video has become a point of contention in the lawsuit unfolding in Delaware Chancery Court. Nai attorneys have said it should not be admissible because it was recorded without the ailing mogul’s consent. Judge Andre Bouchard has allowed the video to be...
In the affidavit, which is redacted in parts, Kopelson, a member of the CBS Corp. board of directors, asserts that he took a short video of Redstone with his iPhone held at “eye level” and in “plain view” of three nurses attending to Redstone. “There was nothing secretive about this video recording at all,” Kopelson said. Kopelson describes the recording as “an attempted conversation with (Redstone) to memorialize his physical appearance and his speech.”
The Kopelson video has become a point of contention in the lawsuit unfolding in Delaware Chancery Court. Nai attorneys have said it should not be admissible because it was recorded without the ailing mogul’s consent. Judge Andre Bouchard has allowed the video to be...
- 8/11/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
It’s true that CBS and National Amusements solidly agree in their pitched lawsuit for corporate control that a recent video of Sumner Redstone should not be seen by the public. Yet, the still Les Moonves run company is very clear that there is no way the footage of the mainly hidden from view nonagenarian should be tossed from the case, as the Shari Redstone run holding company wants.
“The CBS Parties submit that the video will permit the Court to better appreciate the irreconcilable positions taken by the Nai Parties with respect to Mr. Redstone and his control over Nai,” lawyers from Wilmington’s Ross Aronstam & Moritz said late yesterday in a response filing in Delaware’s Court of Chancery (read it here).
As Moonves weaves around allegations of sexual misconduct from six women in a July 27 New Yorker piece, duel investigations and boardroom battles, CBS Corp succinctly tore...
“The CBS Parties submit that the video will permit the Court to better appreciate the irreconcilable positions taken by the Nai Parties with respect to Mr. Redstone and his control over Nai,” lawyers from Wilmington’s Ross Aronstam & Moritz said late yesterday in a response filing in Delaware’s Court of Chancery (read it here).
As Moonves weaves around allegations of sexual misconduct from six women in a July 27 New Yorker piece, duel investigations and boardroom battles, CBS Corp succinctly tore...
- 8/9/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
A Delaware judge on Wednesday said that he had “great skepticism” about the mental condition of CBS chairman emeritus Sumner Redstone and ruled against having him deposed in an ongoing court case, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Even so, Judge Andre Bouchard ruled against public release of a videotape of Redstone made by CBS director Arnold Kopelson last January that the company has said shows the 95-year-old in poor mental and physical health.
Bouchard also ordered National Amusements Inc. — the Redstone family holding company that owns roughly 80 percent of CBS and Viacom and that has been in a pitched legal battle with CBS — is required to hand over documents that the media company suspects will help shine a light on who is calling the shots at Nai.
“We are very pleased with the court’s ruling today, which will now allow us to conduct appropriate discovery from Nai on...
Even so, Judge Andre Bouchard ruled against public release of a videotape of Redstone made by CBS director Arnold Kopelson last January that the company has said shows the 95-year-old in poor mental and physical health.
Bouchard also ordered National Amusements Inc. — the Redstone family holding company that owns roughly 80 percent of CBS and Viacom and that has been in a pitched legal battle with CBS — is required to hand over documents that the media company suspects will help shine a light on who is calling the shots at Nai.
“We are very pleased with the court’s ruling today, which will now allow us to conduct appropriate discovery from Nai on...
- 8/8/2018
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
A Delaware judge has ruled that CBS will be allowed to use a secretly recorded video of aging mogul Sumner Redstone as part of the discovery process in its lawsuit against controlling shareholder National Amusements Inc., but the video will be kept under seal and out of public view.
Judge Andre Bouchard of Delaware Chancery Court granted a CBS motion to compel documents from Nai related to changes on the board of directors at Viacom in 2016 as well as changes made by Nai to Viacom’s bylaws in 2016. CBS’ larger goal is to raise questions about the mental capacity of Sumner Redstone and bolster its argument that Shari Redstone, daughter of the 95-year-old media titan, has improperly been calling the shots at the company that her father controls. Nai owns Redstones’ controlling stakes in CBS and Viacom.
To make the case regarding the discovery motion, CBS submitted a video of...
Judge Andre Bouchard of Delaware Chancery Court granted a CBS motion to compel documents from Nai related to changes on the board of directors at Viacom in 2016 as well as changes made by Nai to Viacom’s bylaws in 2016. CBS’ larger goal is to raise questions about the mental capacity of Sumner Redstone and bolster its argument that Shari Redstone, daughter of the 95-year-old media titan, has improperly been calling the shots at the company that her father controls. Nai owns Redstones’ controlling stakes in CBS and Viacom.
To make the case regarding the discovery motion, CBS submitted a video of...
- 8/8/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
National Amusements Inc. and CBS Corp. are fighting over the admissibility of a recent video of Sumner Redstone as part of the larger legal fight over control of CBS Corp.
The video in question was shot in January 2018 by CBS Corp. board member Arnold Kopelson. It was entered into the discovery process in Delaware Chancery Court in a motion by CBS last month but kept out of public view out of concern for Redstone’s privacy.
The video purportedly supports CBS’ contention that CBS and Viacom chairman emeritus Sumner Redstone is no longer mentally competent and that his daughter, Shari Redstone, has been improperly calling the shots at his National Amusements holding company, which controls Viacom and CBS.
Nai has blasted CBS for introducing a video that it says was taken without Sumner Redstone’s consent. Complicating the situation is a request sent to the court Monday by Wall Street Journal...
The video in question was shot in January 2018 by CBS Corp. board member Arnold Kopelson. It was entered into the discovery process in Delaware Chancery Court in a motion by CBS last month but kept out of public view out of concern for Redstone’s privacy.
The video purportedly supports CBS’ contention that CBS and Viacom chairman emeritus Sumner Redstone is no longer mentally competent and that his daughter, Shari Redstone, has been improperly calling the shots at his National Amusements holding company, which controls Viacom and CBS.
Nai has blasted CBS for introducing a video that it says was taken without Sumner Redstone’s consent. Complicating the situation is a request sent to the court Monday by Wall Street Journal...
- 8/8/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Once again, the health of Sumner Redstone is at the center of a bitterly fought lawsuit. But unlike when the 95-year-old media mogul’s companions and family were up in arms over his succession ideas, the stakes are much higher in the war between CBS and National Amusements.
“To the extent the CBS Parties wanted to document Mr. Redstone’s physical condition, they separately submitted an affidavit from Mr. Redstone’s treating physician that discussed Mr. Redstone’s medical condition in detail,” wrote attorneys for the Redstones-ruled Nai in a motion today to flush potentially pivotal footage filmed earlier this year of the now little-seen CBS chairman emeritus out of the lawsuit CBS filed May 14.
“The submission of the Kopelson video was thus revealed as a gratuitous effort to harass or embarrass an elderly gentleman and his family,” the motion (read it here) from Delaware’s Potter Anderson & Corroon...
“To the extent the CBS Parties wanted to document Mr. Redstone’s physical condition, they separately submitted an affidavit from Mr. Redstone’s treating physician that discussed Mr. Redstone’s medical condition in detail,” wrote attorneys for the Redstones-ruled Nai in a motion today to flush potentially pivotal footage filmed earlier this year of the now little-seen CBS chairman emeritus out of the lawsuit CBS filed May 14.
“The submission of the Kopelson video was thus revealed as a gratuitous effort to harass or embarrass an elderly gentleman and his family,” the motion (read it here) from Delaware’s Potter Anderson & Corroon...
- 8/8/2018
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS and National Amusements are gearing up for battle, even if the chief executive of the former faces his own fight to stay at the top of his company.
Two filings made in Delaware Chancery Court, where the two companies are expected to appear in the fall as part of a much-anticipated courtroom showdown, nod to the intense back-and-forth that can be expected as National Amusements President Shari Redstone and CBS CEO Leslie Moonves vie to assert their control over the famous company that owns the CBS television network, Showtime pay-cable outlet and Simon & Schuster publishing house.
A National Amusements filing unsealed Tuesday alleged CBS executives have deleted evidence pertinent to the case by using TigerText, an iPhone application that can remove email messages. A CBS filing made today alleges that Redstone, who is also vice chairman of CBS, tried to oust board member Arnold Kopelson in the wake of his recording her father,...
Two filings made in Delaware Chancery Court, where the two companies are expected to appear in the fall as part of a much-anticipated courtroom showdown, nod to the intense back-and-forth that can be expected as National Amusements President Shari Redstone and CBS CEO Leslie Moonves vie to assert their control over the famous company that owns the CBS television network, Showtime pay-cable outlet and Simon & Schuster publishing house.
A National Amusements filing unsealed Tuesday alleged CBS executives have deleted evidence pertinent to the case by using TigerText, an iPhone application that can remove email messages. A CBS filing made today alleges that Redstone, who is also vice chairman of CBS, tried to oust board member Arnold Kopelson in the wake of his recording her father,...
- 8/1/2018
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
CBS today said its Board of Directors is in the process of selecting outside counsel to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations facing Chairman and CEO Les Moonves.
As well as letting Moonves keep his position despite multiple claims of sexual misconduct, the board Monday also postponed the annual shareholder meeting, which had been set for August 10. The meeting had already been pushed back from May amid the legal war between CBS and shareholder National Amusements.
No other action was taken on the matter at today’s board meeting, the company said.
The announcement came after a highly anticipated board meeting, which began around 12:30Pm Et and lasted over three hours. Perhaps tellingly, the meeting’s outcome was not disclosed until after the close of trading. Shares in CBS, which lost 6% on the news, have retreated another 5% today.
CBS directors had a regularly scheduled meeting planned ahead of...
As well as letting Moonves keep his position despite multiple claims of sexual misconduct, the board Monday also postponed the annual shareholder meeting, which had been set for August 10. The meeting had already been pushed back from May amid the legal war between CBS and shareholder National Amusements.
No other action was taken on the matter at today’s board meeting, the company said.
The announcement came after a highly anticipated board meeting, which began around 12:30Pm Et and lasted over three hours. Perhaps tellingly, the meeting’s outcome was not disclosed until after the close of trading. Shares in CBS, which lost 6% on the news, have retreated another 5% today.
CBS directors had a regularly scheduled meeting planned ahead of...
- 7/30/2018
- by Dade Hayes, Dominic Patten and Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
Screenwriter Christina Hodson said during an appearance at Comic-Con 2018 that she has mixed feelings about how much things have changed in the #MeToo era.
Asked if the’s feeling optimistic about the state of things during Friday’s “The Future of Film Is Female” panel, Hodson said: “I am both yes and no.”
“Yes, in that I think some behaviors are really gonna change,” she said. “Just walking in here, I saw on Twitter — no, I’m not on social media, but someone sent it to me — a waitress on Cttv, a guy walks past her, grabs her butt, and she takes him down!”
Hodson added, “Amazing. And not only did she do that, he then gets arrested and charged and fined.”
Also Read: 'Birds of Prey' Revealed: Margot Robbie Film Will Feature Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Renee Montoya (Exclusive)
“Nine months ago, no one gave a s—. Like,...
Asked if the’s feeling optimistic about the state of things during Friday’s “The Future of Film Is Female” panel, Hodson said: “I am both yes and no.”
“Yes, in that I think some behaviors are really gonna change,” she said. “Just walking in here, I saw on Twitter — no, I’m not on social media, but someone sent it to me — a waitress on Cttv, a guy walks past her, grabs her butt, and she takes him down!”
Hodson added, “Amazing. And not only did she do that, he then gets arrested and charged and fined.”
Also Read: 'Birds of Prey' Revealed: Margot Robbie Film Will Feature Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, Renee Montoya (Exclusive)
“Nine months ago, no one gave a s—. Like,...
- 7/21/2018
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Shari Redstone’s National Amusements has returned fire at CBS, suing Leslie Moonves and most of the CBS board of directors as the battle for control of the company escalates.
The 66-page complaint filed Tuesday by National Amusements Inc. (Nai) in Delaware Chancery Court seeks to block the CBS board’s effort to dilute Nai’s overwhelming voting control in the company. The complaint also challenges the legality of Moonves’ severance package, asserting that the rich pact was never reviewed by the full CBS board. The Nai lawsuit follows CBS’ stunning decision to file suit May 14 against its controlling shareholder, claiming that Nai’s agenda in pursuing a merger of CBS and Viacom was detrimental to the interests of other CBS shareholders.
“As Nai’s complaint makes clear there was no ‘threat’ or ‘interference,’ and indeed there was no action that could possibly warrant the CBS directors’ unprecedented, unjustified, and...
The 66-page complaint filed Tuesday by National Amusements Inc. (Nai) in Delaware Chancery Court seeks to block the CBS board’s effort to dilute Nai’s overwhelming voting control in the company. The complaint also challenges the legality of Moonves’ severance package, asserting that the rich pact was never reviewed by the full CBS board. The Nai lawsuit follows CBS’ stunning decision to file suit May 14 against its controlling shareholder, claiming that Nai’s agenda in pursuing a merger of CBS and Viacom was detrimental to the interests of other CBS shareholders.
“As Nai’s complaint makes clear there was no ‘threat’ or ‘interference,’ and indeed there was no action that could possibly warrant the CBS directors’ unprecedented, unjustified, and...
- 5/29/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
What would it take for Leslie Moonves to blink and walk away from CBS Corp.?
The stalemate that has emerged between the company and Viacom in their contentious merger negotiations has raised the possibility of Moonves exiting the picture after 23 years at CBS.
CBS without Moonves is an unthinkable prospect to many inside and outside the company. He has become synonymous with the media firm and is renowned for his hands-on management style. He made his name as a programmer extraordinaire who rebuilt CBS in the 1990s, and then cemented his legacy as an industry titan by deftly steering it through the choppy waters of digital disruption.
But a seismic shift at CBS is becoming more plausible as the gulf widens between CBS and Viacom over the valuation of the latter in an acquisition — and the leadership plan for the combined entity.
Shari Redstone, controlling shareholder of Viacom and CBS along with her ailing father,...
The stalemate that has emerged between the company and Viacom in their contentious merger negotiations has raised the possibility of Moonves exiting the picture after 23 years at CBS.
CBS without Moonves is an unthinkable prospect to many inside and outside the company. He has become synonymous with the media firm and is renowned for his hands-on management style. He made his name as a programmer extraordinaire who rebuilt CBS in the 1990s, and then cemented his legacy as an industry titan by deftly steering it through the choppy waters of digital disruption.
But a seismic shift at CBS is becoming more plausible as the gulf widens between CBS and Viacom over the valuation of the latter in an acquisition — and the leadership plan for the combined entity.
Shari Redstone, controlling shareholder of Viacom and CBS along with her ailing father,...
- 4/11/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Screenwriter Christina Hodson has been hired to write “Batgirl” for Warners and DC Films, multiple insiders tell TheWrap.
As TheWrap first reported, Hodson wrote the Harley Quinn “Birds of Prey” spinoff for Warner Bros. and DC Films. An Insider also tells the TheWrap that the studio is high on Hodson’s “Bird of Prey” script and is currently out to directors.
Joss Whedon stepped down as director of “Batgirl” in February, saying in a statement at the time, “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story. I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”
Also Read: Joss Whedon Steps Down as 'Batgirl' Director
Batgirl made her debut in the Batman mythos 50 years ago as Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. Since then she has become one of the most popular superheroines in the world. When Barbara Gordon was paralyzed by a gunshot from the Joker in the classic graphic novel “The Killing Joke,” other crimefighters, like The Huntress and Orphan, took up the Batgirl name while Barbara became Oracle, a tech-savvy aide to Batman. Barbara later returned to the Batgirl role, while her assault in “The Killing Joke” was retconned.
Hodson is a hot commodity, as the screenwriter has made the Black List with scripts three times since turning to writing four years ago. One of those — her female-centered sci-fi action spec script “The Eden Project” — sold to Sony and Material Pictures.
Hodson has also written a reboot of “The Fugitive” for Warner Bros. and producer Arnold Kopelson, and wrote “Bumblebee,” the first spinoff of Paramount’s billion-dollar “Transformers” franchise, based on the popular Autobot in the series.
Also Read: Why DC's 'Batgirl' Movie Won't Happen Anytime Soon
DC die-hards may remember that “Birds of Prey” was also a short-lived series on The WB network in 2002-3, featuring Mia Sara as Harley.
Hodson is represented by CAA, Kaplan/Perrone Ent. and Ziffren Brittenham.
Read original story DC’s ‘Batgirl’ Movie Lands ‘Birds of Prey’ Screenwriter Christina Hodson At TheWrap...
As TheWrap first reported, Hodson wrote the Harley Quinn “Birds of Prey” spinoff for Warner Bros. and DC Films. An Insider also tells the TheWrap that the studio is high on Hodson’s “Bird of Prey” script and is currently out to directors.
Joss Whedon stepped down as director of “Batgirl” in February, saying in a statement at the time, “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story. I’m grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”
Also Read: Joss Whedon Steps Down as 'Batgirl' Director
Batgirl made her debut in the Batman mythos 50 years ago as Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon. Since then she has become one of the most popular superheroines in the world. When Barbara Gordon was paralyzed by a gunshot from the Joker in the classic graphic novel “The Killing Joke,” other crimefighters, like The Huntress and Orphan, took up the Batgirl name while Barbara became Oracle, a tech-savvy aide to Batman. Barbara later returned to the Batgirl role, while her assault in “The Killing Joke” was retconned.
Hodson is a hot commodity, as the screenwriter has made the Black List with scripts three times since turning to writing four years ago. One of those — her female-centered sci-fi action spec script “The Eden Project” — sold to Sony and Material Pictures.
Hodson has also written a reboot of “The Fugitive” for Warner Bros. and producer Arnold Kopelson, and wrote “Bumblebee,” the first spinoff of Paramount’s billion-dollar “Transformers” franchise, based on the popular Autobot in the series.
Also Read: Why DC's 'Batgirl' Movie Won't Happen Anytime Soon
DC die-hards may remember that “Birds of Prey” was also a short-lived series on The WB network in 2002-3, featuring Mia Sara as Harley.
Hodson is represented by CAA, Kaplan/Perrone Ent. and Ziffren Brittenham.
Read original story DC’s ‘Batgirl’ Movie Lands ‘Birds of Prey’ Screenwriter Christina Hodson At TheWrap...
- 4/9/2018
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
CBS CEO Les Moonves took a pay cut in 2017, but don’t start a GoFundMe drive for him just yet –he’s still doing pretty well.
The exec pulled in $69.3 million last year, a slight drop from the $69.6 million he made in 2016, according to the company’s proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
Here’s how his compensation broke down, if you care: Moonves has a $3.5 million base salary, and earned a $20 million bonus. That was a bit of a cut from his $32 million bonus in 2016 — but it was augmented by his stock awards, which hit $43.7 million.
Also Read: Viacom Rejects CBS' Initial Acquisition Offer
CBS routinely wins the war for total viewers, though NBC rules the key 18-49 demographic these days. Time Warner head Richard Parsons has been nominated to replace producer Arnold Kopelson on the CBS board, the filing also revealed.
CBS is currently maneuvering to reunite with Viacom after more than a decade apart, as TheWrap exclusively reported earlier this year. Viacom passed on an all-stock merger proposal from CBS late last month. Shari Redstone has been pushing for the two companies — both under the National Amusements banner — to make a deal.
Read original story CBS Chief Les Moonves Earned Less in 2017, Still Made $69 Million At TheWrap...
The exec pulled in $69.3 million last year, a slight drop from the $69.6 million he made in 2016, according to the company’s proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday.
Here’s how his compensation broke down, if you care: Moonves has a $3.5 million base salary, and earned a $20 million bonus. That was a bit of a cut from his $32 million bonus in 2016 — but it was augmented by his stock awards, which hit $43.7 million.
Also Read: Viacom Rejects CBS' Initial Acquisition Offer
CBS routinely wins the war for total viewers, though NBC rules the key 18-49 demographic these days. Time Warner head Richard Parsons has been nominated to replace producer Arnold Kopelson on the CBS board, the filing also revealed.
CBS is currently maneuvering to reunite with Viacom after more than a decade apart, as TheWrap exclusively reported earlier this year. Viacom passed on an all-stock merger proposal from CBS late last month. Shari Redstone has been pushing for the two companies — both under the National Amusements banner — to make a deal.
Read original story CBS Chief Les Moonves Earned Less in 2017, Still Made $69 Million At TheWrap...
- 4/6/2018
- by Sean Burch
- The Wrap
CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves brought in a compensation package totaling $69.3 million last year, a modest drop from his 2016 haul of $69.6 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Moonves, who ranked among the highest-paid executives in American business in 2016, earned a $20 million bonus last year and received stock grants worth $43.7 million, on top of his annual salary of $3.5 million. The filing also revealed that former Time Warner head Richard Parsons has been nominated to join the CBS board of directors. He would take the place of Arnold Kopelson.
It’s clear that CBS prizes its chief executive. In a proposal this week to acquire Viacom, an independent committee of the CBS board proposed that he take the helm of the combined companies. It’s an offer that landed with a thud at Viacom.
The proxy also notes that CBS approved a new contract for Chief...
Moonves, who ranked among the highest-paid executives in American business in 2016, earned a $20 million bonus last year and received stock grants worth $43.7 million, on top of his annual salary of $3.5 million. The filing also revealed that former Time Warner head Richard Parsons has been nominated to join the CBS board of directors. He would take the place of Arnold Kopelson.
It’s clear that CBS prizes its chief executive. In a proposal this week to acquire Viacom, an independent committee of the CBS board proposed that he take the helm of the combined companies. It’s an offer that landed with a thud at Viacom.
The proxy also notes that CBS approved a new contract for Chief...
- 4/6/2018
- by Dawn C. Chmielewski
- Deadline Film + TV
CBS Corp. chief Leslie Moonves earned $69.3 million in 2017, a slight decline from his 2016 haul of $69.6 million.
Moonves’ compensation was disclosed Friday in CBS’ annual proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing also revealed that former Time Warner head Richard Parsons has been nominated to join the CBS board of directors, replacing producer Arnold Kopelson. CBS has set May 18 as the date for its annual shareholders meeting, where Parsons is likely to be easily approved.
The annual disclosures come at a time when Moonves and the CBS Corp. board are in the spotlight because of the contentious effort to formally reunite CBS Corp. with Viacom, its corporate cousin that is also controlled by Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements holding company. CBS made a low-ball initial all-stock offer for Viacom assets on March 30 that has rankled Shari Redstone, who has been nudging the two companies back to the altar...
Moonves’ compensation was disclosed Friday in CBS’ annual proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing also revealed that former Time Warner head Richard Parsons has been nominated to join the CBS board of directors, replacing producer Arnold Kopelson. CBS has set May 18 as the date for its annual shareholders meeting, where Parsons is likely to be easily approved.
The annual disclosures come at a time when Moonves and the CBS Corp. board are in the spotlight because of the contentious effort to formally reunite CBS Corp. with Viacom, its corporate cousin that is also controlled by Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements holding company. CBS made a low-ball initial all-stock offer for Viacom assets on March 30 that has rankled Shari Redstone, who has been nudging the two companies back to the altar...
- 4/6/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
As The Fate of The Furious enters theaters, a ranking of its 1st Assistant Director’s oeuvre.
Friday brings us the release of The Fate of the Furious, the eighth film in The Fast & The Furious series. Thus, there could be no better time to look back and rank the previous works of one of the films most notable craftsmen, a man whose name is legendary. I speak of course of First Assistant Director Frank Capra III.
Capra III is the grandson of director Frank Capra, a Hollywood legend whose work includes It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It’s a Wonderful Life. How did that pedigree fare two generations removed? This exhaustive look at Mr. Capra III’s 1st Ad career will tell the tale.
While the film’s director often gets the lion’s share of the credit, the First Ad is one of the most critical positions on set. In...
Friday brings us the release of The Fate of the Furious, the eighth film in The Fast & The Furious series. Thus, there could be no better time to look back and rank the previous works of one of the films most notable craftsmen, a man whose name is legendary. I speak of course of First Assistant Director Frank Capra III.
Capra III is the grandson of director Frank Capra, a Hollywood legend whose work includes It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and It’s a Wonderful Life. How did that pedigree fare two generations removed? This exhaustive look at Mr. Capra III’s 1st Ad career will tell the tale.
While the film’s director often gets the lion’s share of the credit, the First Ad is one of the most critical positions on set. In...
- 4/14/2017
- by The Bitter Script Reader
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
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