'Philosophical' Bruce Vilanch Explains Why the Oscars Are Doomed

This is pretty much perfect: "since i am blamed whenever people dont like it, but never praised when they do, and since most critics forget that they liked or hated something two years ago and cite it as a strength or weakness two years later, ive come to be philosophical about the show. if people dont like the comic who hosts, they hate the show. if no comic hosts, they hate the show and demand that a comic be summoned. when hes edgier, like chris rock, we get slammed. when hes bland, like ellen, we get slammed. but a few things are clear. this is the oscars. they still mean something after 83 years, at least in the industry. unlike the mtv awards, their audience is not exclusively 9-18 year olds. unlike the golden globes, the voters are people who actually make movies, not pretend to be journalists. some things are simply inappropriate. its a dance every year to figure out what those are. every single line on the oscar show is negotiated. unless youve been there, you have no idea how it is put together. its like nothing else on earth. im writing a book about it, but i have to throw in my sexual escapades to make sure it sells." [Filmdrunk] [Photo: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]

CW greenlights three unscripted series

The CW has greenlighted three reality series with this summer time in order to reverse its perennial publish-season rankings worries. "Breaking Pointe" goes behind the curtain of the ballet company located in Salt Lake City. From BBC Worldwide Prods., "Pointe" counts Kate Shepherd ("Your Government: Based on Russell Brand"), Bill Langworthy ("The TownInch), Izzie Pick Ashcroft and Jane Tranter as executive producers. "Catalina" is occur the Miami hotel of the identical title in which a youthful staff will get as wild because the visitors. Eric Bischoff and Jason Hervey ("iMPACT Wrestling") are professional producers of "Catalina," from Bischoff Hervey Entertainment. "The Star NearbyInch is really a music-performance contest by which amateurs can get guidance from celebrity mentors including Gloria Estefan and Large Wealthy. Full Latifah and Dork Broome ("The Greatest Loser") are executive producers of "Star," that is created by CBS' Raquel Prods., 25/7 Prods. and Flavor Unit Entertainment. The trio enroll in a 4th, formerly introduced unscripted series: "Oh Sit!", an inventive spin on musical chairs from Gurin Co. and 405 Prods. "Certainly one of my first goals at the CW ended up being to increase the amount of hrs of original programming, both through the season and throughout the summer time," stated CW prexy Mark Pedowitz. "With one of these four new reality series, we are starting our greatest summer time schedule yet that will boost our circulation throughout the summer time several weeks and give to us a marketing platform for the fall launch." Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Emma Watson Eyes Sofia Coppola's 'Bling Ring'

Emma Watson adds another major film to her line-as she signs to Sofia Coppola's next, "The Jewellery Ring." Meanwhile, Mike Tyson will probably be back for "The Hangover Part III," three stars will be in talks for "Lone Survivor" and Michael Bay utilizes a supermodel for "Discomfort and Gain." It's February 29, and you're simply being mindful for current day casting call. Emma Watson To Star In Sofia Coppola's Next Make room Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton, it's Emma Watson who's got probably the most effective resume being launched of "Harry Potter." Variety is verifying the "Perks to become a Wallflower" star will headline Sofia Coppola's new feature, "The Jewellery Ring." Between that, David Yates's "Your Voice throughout my thoughtsInch and Guillermo del Toro's "Beauty as well as the Animal," this lady has some serious endurance. Mike Tyson Certifies Return For "The Hangover Part III" Guess who's back and he's fantastic? Mike Tyson, that's who. The boxer confirmed to Yahoo's The Boxing Blog that he'll lead inside the third installment of Todd Phillips' comedy franchise. I am in a position to only imagine what shenanigans he'll get around this time around around around. More singing, please! Ben Promote, Taylor Kitsch And Mark Wahlberg Consider "Lone Survivor" Deadline is verifying that Ben Promote, Taylor Kitsch and Mark Wahlberg will be in predicts play three of four lead roles inside the approaching Navy SEAL movie "Lone Survivor." Peter Berg, who also directed Kitsch in "Battleship", will direct the film. The film is founded on Marcus Luttrell's memoir about how precisely he went into Afghanistan to kill a Taliban leader and ended up to be the sole survivor from his quantity of Shuts. Kristen Wiig To Star In Approaching Action Comedy "The Descendants" authors Jim Rash and Nat Faxon are apparently writing a presently untitled action comedy, and Kristen Wiig is interested in starring within it. Variety gets the news in the partnership, but tend to give little particulars beyond that which was already pointed out above. Still, I'm pretty excited to find out just what the product from the brands of comedy will probably be. Supermodel Bar Paly Joins "Discomfort And Gain" Since it labored in "Transformers: Dark in the Moon," it should be employed in "Discomfort and Gain." Variety knows that Michael Bay had hired supermodel Bar Paly to see within the approaching film. She'll play an illegal immigrant named Sabina Petrescu who's attempting to become Hollywood star. Elizabeth Olsen In Talks For "Old Boy" Twitch is verifying that Elizabeth Olsen might be the most recent actress in predicts play in the lead female role in Spike Lee's adaptation of "Old Boy." Rooney Mara was formerly in talks for your part, but has since passed. The film is slated to start production soon. In Casting Call, the MTV Movies team gathers the day's finest casting news and will be offering it your choice around the silver platter. If you're looking to determine which movie your chosen actor has reserved next, your research has ended. Reveal what you consider inside the comments section and also on Twitter!

Bookings & Signings

Editor's note: This really is really the ultimate Inside Production e-e-newsletter. Variety is constantly on the regularly publish below-the-line information regularly. Thanks greatly for registering.Gersh signed d.p.'s Ben Richardson ("Monsters in the Southern Wild") and Tim Orr ("Seeking a pal for your Finish round the globeInch), vfx supervisor Pablo Herman ("Battleship"), production designer Sebastian Krawinkel ("Anonymous"). * * * Paradigm signed producer Richard Middleton ("The Artist"), producer/UPM Carol Cuddy ("The Departed"), d.p.'s David Herrington ("Warehouse 13"), Gordon Verheul ("Smallville") and Karim Hussain ("Hobo getting a Shotgun") and editor Michael O'Halloran ("Red-colored-colored Tails").Paradigm reserved producer Henry Lange and production designer Joe Lucky on NBC pilot "Next Caller Please" producers Loucas George on ABC pilot "Nashville," David Roessell on NBC pilot "Revolution" and Neal Ahern, Junior. on ABC pilot "Gotham" and d.p.'s Peter Smokler on FX's "Anger Management," Christian Sprenger round the Comedy Central's "The Nick Kroll Sketch Show," Sarah Cawley on CBS pilot "Golden Boy," Anthony Hardwick returning on TNT's "Rizzoli & Isles" and Paul Maibaum on ABC Family pilot "Interecpt."Paradigm reserved d.p. Rohn Schmidt, production designer Jim Spencer and editor Angela Catanzaro on ABC pilot "Final Option.Inch Agency reserved production designers Richard Toyon on FBC pilot "Ben Fox Is My Manny," Paul Peters on ABC Family pilot "Intercept," Patti Podesta on Michael Cuesta's "Elementary," Jeffrey Beecroft on Michael Bay's "Discomfort & Gain" and Maher Ahmad on Fisher Stevens' "Remain True Males."Paradigm book editors Greg Plotkin on Henry Joost's "Paranormal Activity 4," Tom Nordberg on Andrew Niccol's "The Host," Stephen Rivkin on Carl Rinsch's "47 Ronin," Mary Jo Markey on Qq Abrams' "The Exorcist 2," Todd Desrosiers on NBC pilot "County" and Billy Fox on NBC pilot "Chicago Fire." * * * iTalent signed production designer James C. Hegedus ("Shrek"), editor David Rogow ("The Big Year") and d.p. Charlie Lieberman ("Love Bites"). Agency reserved production designer Mark Freeborn on AMC's "Breaking Bad," hair department mind Kerrie Cruz Campbell on Louis Leterrier's "At This Point You See Me," editor Jamie Gross on Adult Swim's "Children's Hospital" and d.p. Marco Fargnoli on Adult Frolic in the water pilot "The Eco-friendly Bench Show." iTalent client Lance Anderson is pointing an instalment of "Vampire Journals," a show he usually edits. * * * First Artists Management introduced the following gigs due to its clients: Ernest Bishara will compose the score for completely new Line Cinema's "The Warren Files," directed by James Wan Rolf Kent will score Nicolas Barry's "The Scapegoat" and Michael Hoffman's "Gambit" and Andrea Guerra will score Gabriele Muccino's "Playing the region.Inch Contact Peter Caranicas at peter.caranicas@variety.com

Emerging plays Rendez-Vous pix

PARIS -- Gallic promotion org Unifrance is partnering with Emerging Pictures to screen seven French films across 40 U.S. cities the same day they play at Rendez-Vous in NY, which kicks off Wednesday. Selected from 23 pics at the event, the seven include two that have been acquired by U.S. distribs: Delphine and Muriel Coulin's debut "17 Girls," acquired by Strand Releasing, and Daniel Auteuil's "The Well-Digger's Daughter," picked up by Kino Lorber. Among the other five, which don't have U.S. distrib, are Alain Cavalier's Cannes competition player "Pater" and Laurent Achard's "Derniere seance" (Last Screening), which unspooled at the Locarno and Rotterdam fests. "Venues equipped with digital projection are key because films can be shown on Blu-ray disks on HD cams, which make them much less expensive and cumbersome than 35 mm," explained Richard Lorber, founder and prexy of arthouse distrib Kino Lorber. Unifrance managing director Regine Hatchondo concurred. "Exhibition technologies are important factors now in expanding the potential for different kinds of specialty films and bringing them to a wider audience," she said, adding that 25% of revenues from Emerging Pictures' ticket sales will go to the films' right-holders. Fest, held in co-operation with the Film Society of Lincoln Center, bows on a high note with Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache's box office phenom "Intouchables," which The Weinstein Co. acquired before it opened in France, following its screening in San Sebastian. The distrib will release it late May. Nakache and Toledano, along with one of the two lead actors, Francois Cluzet, will attend the Unifrance U.S. premiere. Repped by Gaumont, "Intouchables" is Gaul's third biggest B.O. earner over all and Germany's biggest French hit. The Rendez-Vous will also play Olivier Marchal's "A Gang Story," another Weinstein Co. domestic release; helmer Benoit Jacquot's Berlin opener "Farewell My Queen," starring Diane Kruger and Lea Seydoux, plus Audrey Tautou starrer "Delicacy," both acquired by Cohen Media Group; and Robert Guediguian's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," repped by Films Distribution. The Rendez-Vous wraps March 11. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Idris Elba: Film Star And... Expert Fitness Instructor?

Stringer Bell. John Luther. Heimdall. Add Moreau to the mix, and you're looking at some of "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" actor Idris Elba's most recognizable roles to date. But the British actor is more than just a pretty face on the big screen. Indeed, Elba's true passion may very well lie in the realm of fitness instruction... particularly when it involves whipping journalists into superhero shape. Elba did exactly that in the latest edition of After Hours, turning MTV Movies reporter Josh Horowitz into... well, we don't want to spoil the surprise. Exercise your own capacity for fitness in this instructional video with Elba and Horowitz below.

Saturday Evening Live Video: Maya Rudolph Has Returned!

Bertha loves nail polish, but is not hooked on manis and pedis. On Sunday's My Strange Addiction (10/9c, TLC), the 23-year-old discloses that they loves to hit the bottle... the nail polish bottle that's. Bertha got her first craving to drink the colorful stuff 5 years ago when she could not resist the smell inside a salon. Find Out More > Other Links From TVGuide.com My Strange Addiction