Networks bulk up on 9/11 specials

In the coming weeks, networks will roll out 40-plus specials to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.How many programs can a milestone like the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 attacks sustain? Ten? A dozen? Twenty? Try 40-plus.In the coming weeks, every TV outlet with even a tangential interest in the anniversary is rolling out hours -- in some cases several days' worth -- of programming to mark the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist incident on U.S. soil.Although numerous networks will be fielding dueling specials and docus -- Sunday, Sept. 11 itself will be wall-to-wall 9/11 -- programmers say the emphasis is warranted given the magnitude of the attacks and their impact on the world in the decade since."There's a lot of competition, and understandably so," said Susan Werbe, History's veep of programming. "For Americans primarily, and also for the world, so much has changed as a result of 9/11, from the way that we travel to the way that we show ID at an office."Newsies say the 10-year milestone is made more significant by the death of Osama bin Laden in May. The killing of the Al Qaeda leader gave the networks a reason to dust off old 9/11 docus, to which they could amend new footage and interviews in orderto close a painful chapter for the nation.As the anniversary draws near, 9/11-related programs new and old are more frequently scheduled on top of each other. Finding plentiful material, the news nets and outlets like National Geographic Channel and A&E's Bio have added more and more programming.CNN, Fox News and MSNBC have a raft of special material on tap; Fox News anchor Shepard Smith has been hosting regular "Rise of Freedom" segments on the building of the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center site for the past year. The news wings of the Big Three nets, on the other hand, are largely focusing on event coverage and retrospectives to run on Sept. 11.With so much material vying for viewers' attention, how do you distinguish your programming from everybody else's? The combination of renewed interest and distance offered by the 10th anniversary has created some unique opportunities. Producer Natalie von Hurter contacted victims of the attacks, their families, and first responder organizations to compile much of the material used in History's audio-heavy "Voices from Inside the Towers" -- a two-hour special that reconstructs the final moments inside the WTC before the collapse. It's a project that would have been unthinkable in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, but 10 years later is being produced in cooperation with survivors' groups."It is very disturbing," said Werbe, who produced the special for the network. "But we also think it's important."Other nets are opting for the exhaustive approach. Starting Aug. 28, NatGeo will have a full week devoted to 9/11, including a rerun of its hourlong interview with then-President George W. Bush on the subject of the attacks. It has a half-dozen new specials lined up, along with old docus refurbished with new footage. It is not lost on NatGeo programmers that the highest-rated program in the channel's history was the four-hour "Inside 9/11" docu that first aired in 2005.Discovery and Science channels are going all out for a six-hour event produced by Steven Spielberg called "Rising,: Rebuilding Ground Zero," and every news network and division is covering the ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Penn."Our audience kind of wants us to get into detail," said Michael Cascio, senior veep of production for NatGeo. "Depth has been what we strive for, which is why we're devoting so much time."Networks that don't traditionally address world events are weighing in, too, and not necessarily those you'd expect -- Nickelodeon, for example, will air a Linda Ellerbee-hosted Nick News special aimed at putting Sept. 11 in perspective for kids. Animal Planet will show a 9/11 edition of its rescue pet show, "Saved." Most significantly among the scripted series, FX has set Sept. 7 for the final episode of "Rescue Me," a series rooted in 9/11 and its aftermath for New York City firefighters.But for many who remember the attacks, especially New Yorkers, there's a sense that Sunday would be a good day to stay inside and unplug the television. HBO will cue the new docu "Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience" to bow at 8:46 a.m. ET, the moment the first plane hit the Twin Towers.Even USA Network will set aside its blue-sky dramas that night for a commercial-free airing of the original telepic "The Space Between," starring Melissa Leo as a flight attendant tasked with returning a Pakistani boy to an uncertain future in New York. It'll be followed by the TV preem of Dick Wolf's Oscar-winning docu short "Twin Towers."As the volume of programming rises, there are bound to be critics who accuse the nets of overkill and exploiting tragedy for ratings. TV journos who covered that dark day say they are extremely cognizant of the need for sensitivity in the use of the most dramatic footage available."We're going to be really judicious as far as how we use some of the images from the day," said CBS News prexy David Rhodes. Rhodes was running the news desk at Fox News on Sept. 11, 2001, which meant his shift started at 6 a.m. that day. ("It was a long day," he recalled, with understatement.)Mark Lukasiewicz, veep of specials and digital media at NBC News, concurred. "We're very careful about using those images. Our policy is to use them only when they're directly relevant to the story you're telling -- we never use them as B-roll," he said.For television news, 9/11 was definitely a wake-up call after the tabloid-heavy period spurred by the Monica Lewinsky scandal and other sensational stories."Because it changed world events as it did, it changed our coverage," Rhodes said. Contact Sam Thielman at sam.thielman@variety.com

Relativity Setting Business Venture In China

Yet another case of Hollywood hopping on the China film market bandwagon. Here is the announcementMonday Beijing time: Huaxia Film Distribution Co,Relativity Media, and SkyLand (Beijing) Film-Television Culture Development Ltd jointly announceda strategic partnership.Huaxia Film's Executive Chairman Guoqing Gu, Relativity Media's founder and CEO Ryan Kavanaugh, SAIF Partners' Managing Partner Andy Yan, and IDG China Media's Founding Partner Hugo Shong attended the press conference.Three parties -- Relativity, SAIF, and IDG --also announcedthe formation of the first China/U.S. distribution company Sky Land Entertainment.Huaxia is one of the biggest movie production and distribution companies in China,releasing more films there than almost any other company.Sky Land has been prominent in the production, financing and distribution of Chinese content films in the past few years. Said Kavanaugh:"We're excited to be entering into this ground breakingpartnership. With 6 new screens added daily in China and a business which hasbeen tripling in revenue every 3 years, it is unquestionable that China and theUnited States must work closely together to build an entertainment business forthe future, which strives to make and release global product appealing toworldwide audiences. This is a critical first step in achieving just that." According to the announcement,"several cross-border hits will be co-produced. Thethree parties are said to be working on some high-budgeted China-themed movies, which arebased on famed modern historical events. The purpose is to create movies whichwill be appealing to both Chinese and western audiences alike, attracting strongnational and international box office success." SUNDAY 3:25 AM: By the fussy way Ryan Kavanaugh's company is acting, you'd think it was The Second Coming. Wake me when the announcement is over, please. Besides, these new business ventures are a dime a dozen these days.

Baazigar

Widowed Madan Chopra lives a very wealthy lifestyle with two daughters, Seema and Priya. His passion is racing, and realizing that he is not young anymore, has his last race and wins - only to find out that another competitor, Vicky Malhotra, let him win. Madan befriends Vicky, introduces him to Priya and invites him to work for him in Bombay. Vicky and Priya are attracted to each other, much to Madan's delight and he announces their marriage. Before that could happen, Seema kills herself by throwing herself down from the roof of a multi-storied building. While Madan wants to close this case due to embarrassment, Seema meets with her college friend, Police Inspector Karan, and together they begin to unravel a plot that may well end Madan and the lives of others as well.

Warrior

Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton star in Lionsgate's MMA fighting drama 'Warrior.'A Lionsgate release presented with Mimran Schur Pictures of a Lionsgate/Mimran Schur Pictures production in association with Solaris Entertainment and Filmtribe. Produced by Gavin O'Connor, Greg O'Connor. Executive producers, Michael Paseornek, Lisa Ellzey, David Mimran, Jordan Schur, John J. Kelly. Co-producers, Anthony Tambakis, Jamie Marshall, Josh Fagin. Directed by Gavin O'Connor. Screenplay, O'Connor, Anthony Tambakis, Cliff Dorfman; story, O'Connor, Dorfman.Brendan Conlon - Joel Edgerton Tommy Conlon - Tom Hardy Paddy Conlon - Nick Nolte Tess Conlon - Jennifer Morrison Frank Campana - Frank Grillo Principal Zito - Kevin Dunn Colt Boyd - Maximiliano Hernandez Bryan Callen - Himself Sam Sheridan - Himself Pilar Fernandez - Vanessa Martinez Koba - Kurt Angle Pete "Mad Dog" Grimes - Erik AppleAn improbably effective and affecting mix of raw emotions and exciting smackdowns, "Warrior" shapes up as a pic with the potential to appeal to critics and audiences alike. Lionsgate faces the formidable challenge of convincing potential ticketbuyers that there's as much heart and soul as blood and thunder in this sharply observed drama involving long-estranged brothers destined to compete in a high-stakes, winner-take-all mixed martial arts tournament. But savvy marketing -- along with upbeat reviews and word-of-mouth raves -- could push the pic toward scoring a four-quadrant knockout. Working from a script he co-wrote with Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorfman, helmer Gavin O'Connor (who dealt with the slightly less violent sport of hockey in 2004's "Miracle") spends much of the first hour methodically revealing backstories and defining current circumstances for the three lead characters, interrupting the drama every so often for a scene in which a character kicks, punches or otherwise pummels someone else in a MMA-style match-up. During the early going, however, there's appreciably more attention paid to action outside the ring. An Iraq War veteran, Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) returns home to Philadelphia after a 14-year absence and pays a surprise visit to his dad, Paddy (Nick Nolte), a recovering alcoholic who's anxiously approaching his thousandth day of sobriety. It's not exactly a warm reunion: Tommy, wielding scorn and sarcasm like blunt instruments, all too vividly recalls having to go on the run with his now-deceased mom years earlier to escape Paddy's booze-fueled brutality. But even back in the bad old days, Paddy was an adept wrestling coach, and Tommy benefited from his tutelage. Now the prodigal son wants his father to help him prepare for Sparta, an MMA event with a $5 million purse. Paddy, deeply ashamed of past sins and desperate to reconnect with Tommy, agrees to be his son's trainer, stoically accepting Tommy's repeated recriminations and humiliations as a kind of penance. Even as father and son get ready to rumble, however, Tommy's older brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), begins his own journey to Sparta. Brendan, who put aside many of his dreams when Tommy and their mom departed, also seeks aid from a former mentor -- an MMA trainer (Frank Grillo) who uses Beethoven's Ninth Symphony as an unlikely practice tool -- after the discovery that he's been participating in underground bouts gets him suspended from his high-school teaching job. O'Connor adroitly sustains an air of kitchen-sink realism throughout the first half of "Warrior," precisely and persuasively describing the socioeconomic specifics of his characters' day-to-day lives. More importantly, O'Connor elicits such powerful performances from his three leads -- and gets such first-rate work from supporting players Grillo and Jennifer Morrison, playing Brendan's childhood sweetheart -- that he keeps the drama grippingly focused despite the fuzziness of a few plot details. Occasionally recalling the bruised and brooding virility of a young Marlon Brando, Hardy is arrestingly intense as Tommy, by turns implosive and explosive as he alternates between guilt and rage, savagery and self-loathing. In perfect counterpoint, Edgerton winningly portrays Brendan as a sensitive and passionate man who must dredge up inner furies -- and feed on mounting desperation -- to emerge victorious in his MMA battles. To their considerable credit, O'Connor and his co-scripters generate virtually equal sympathy for each bother, coming up with an emotionally and dramatically satisfying payoff for their climactic cage match. Nolte's heartfelt and fearless performance as the anguished Paddy -- a man whose self-abnegation is such that he no longer feels entitled to express anger -- ranks with the veteran actor's finest work. Still, some auds may feel frustrated by the pic's evasiveness after planting strong hints (most notably, Paddy's obsessive interest in "Moby Dick") that the character may be haunted by even worse sins in his past. Most of the second half of "Warrior" is devoted to the Sparta tournament in an aggressively gaudy Atlantic City, as the mano-a-mano mayhem threatens to overshadow the dramatic interactions between the bouts. (Just how extreme are these battles? According to the credits, even the stunt doubles required a double.) Lenser Masanobu Takayanagi joins forces with editors John Gilroy, Sean Albertson, Matt Chesse and Aaron Marshall to make the fight scenes -- skillfully choreographed by JJ "Loco" Perry -- more than believable enough to make viewers wince or cheer exactly when they're supposed to. But the production values are every bit as impressive during the deliberately drab and dreary scenes in Philadelphia. That's where "Warrior" patiently lays the groundwork for its consistently compelling narrative, preparing auds for an ending that just might move some strong men to tears.Camera (Deluxe color), Masanobu Takayanagi; editors, John Gilroy, Sean Albertson, Matt Chesse, Aaron Marshall; music, Mark Isham; music supervisor, Brian Ross: production designer, Dan Leigh; art director, James Donahue; set decorator, Ron von Blomberg; costume designer, Abigail Murray; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Peter J. Devlin, Glen Trew; re-recording mixers, Gary Summers, Christian P. Minkler; stunt coordinator/fight choreographer, JJ "Loco" Perry; assistant director, Jamie Marshall; casting, Randi Hiller. Reviewed at Edwards Marq*E Stadium 23, Houston, Aug. 3, 2011. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 139 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Elisabeth Murdoch Will not Join News Corp. Board

our editor recommendsRupert Murdoch Pieman Will get Six Days JailAnalyst Puts Likelihood of Rupert Murdoch Departure at 25%, Upgrades News Corp. StockNEW You are able to - Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth won't be nominated like a new board person in Murdoch's News Corp. at its approaching annual meeting among elevated corporate governance scrutiny because of the telephone hacking scandal.' PHOTOS: News around the globe's Top Ten Scams Viet Dinh, chairman from the nominating and corporate governance committee from the entertainment conglomerate's board, stated so inside a statement late Friday. STORY: Rupert Murdoch's Cake-Thrower Sentence Sliced Some experts have recommended the mind of production firm Shine, which News Corp. lately acquired, could ultimately succeed Murdoch when the phone hacking scandal eventually ends up harmful the credibility of boy James, who's deputy COO from the conglomerate, an excessive amount of. For the time being though, the ascension of Elisabeth Murdoch a minimum of to some board role appears postponed. STORY: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Faces More Legal cases Among Phone Hacking Scandal "Elisabeth Murdoch recommended towards the independent company directors some days ago that they felt it might be inappropriate to incorporate her nomination towards the board of News Corp. only at that year's AGM, as have been introduced by Chairman and Boss Rupert Murdoch during the time of buying of Shine Group captured,Inch Dinh stated in the statement. "The independent company directors agreed the formerly planned nomination ought to be postponed." He added: "Both Elisabeth and also the board hope this decision reaffirms that News Corp. aspires towards the greatest standards of corporate governance and can still act within the needs of stakeholders, whether investors, employees or even the vast amounts of customers who News Corp. content notifies, entertains and often brings about each year.Inch Experts have contended that Murdoch family people, confidants and former News Corp. employees make the organization's board not independent. Related Subjects Rupert Murdoch News Corp. James Murdoch

Learn About the Hungry Homonculi in Two New Clips from Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Troy Nixey’s upcoming film Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark shares elements in common with producer Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth — the little girl heroine, the gothic old mansion, a world of fantastical creatures with sinister secrets — but its supernatural antagonists are tinier, scarier, and way more desperate for you to come “play” with them. Find out more about the goblin-like “homunculi” that live in the basement in two new clips from the upcoming horror-fantasy. In the film, a young girl named Sally (Bailee Madison) comes to live with her distracted architect father (Guy Pearce) and his new girlfriend (Katie Holmes) in Blackwood Manor, a historic mansion with a dark history and mysterious, seemingly friendly fairy-like creatures in the basement who whisper to Sally, desperate to be set free. Sally learns her lesson, but it’s too late. Luckily, she discovers a use for that old One-Step… Long live the Polaroid! Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark opens nationwide on August 26.

Warner states Eco-friendly Lantern 2 is going to be 'edgier'

Warner Bros. film group leader Shaun Robinov states the follow up to Eco-friendly Lantern is going to be "edgier and more personal and more dark".The film opened up having a $53m box office eat the US, but only handled to drag in $114m overall."We'd a good opening therefore we learned there's a crowd. To visit forward we have to turn it into a little edgier and more personal and more dark with increased focus on action. And we must try to balance time the film stays in space versus on the planet," Robinov told the La Occasions.Eco-friendly Lantern 2 would also likely visit a change of director, despite the fact that Martin Campbell is thought to possess a clause in the contract giving him a choice to operate on the follow up.Robinov also confirmed Warner Bros. Has "a good script" for that Expensive.That may create a Justice League Of America movie pairing The Expensive, Superman, Batman and Eco-friendly Lantern.