Pair nab rights to V.C. Andrews library

'Family Storms'Dan Angel ("Door-to-doorInch) in the Hatchery has bought rights for the V.C. Andrews library and teamed with Jane Startz ("Ella Enchanted") to develop and convey movies, TV series and telepics based on Andrews' works.Angel and Startz introduced the partnership Friday. You'll find presently 70 Andrews books, launched in 1979 with "Flowers inside the Attic," with worldwide sales more than 106 million copies in 95 nations in 26 languages in tales mixing facets of Medieval horror and family secrets. Andrew Neiderman, who's composed 44 books under their very own title, remains the freelance worker of Andrews' books since her dying in 1986.The newest addition is "Family Storms" which is follow-up "Cloudburst," released inside the fall. Paranormal love story "To The Darkness" will probably be launched in March and "The Forbidden Sister will probably be launched inside the fall 2012, then it's follow-up "Roxy's Story.""V.C. Andrews can be a significant cultural icon and contains been throughout the final 3 decades,In . Startz mentioned. "Her collected works certainly are a banking center of genres -- romance, medieval, paranormal -- with highly original and sometimes outr tales that have enormous multigenerational and multicultural appeal." Angel's credits include "The Haunting Hour," "Serta Versus." and "Gifted Hands." Startz produced "The Indian inside the Cupboard," "The Mighty" and "Tuck Everlasting."Simon & Schuster Uk, extended-term entrepreneurs of V.C. Andrews, mentioned in the statement, "We are delighted that Virginia Andrews will uncover a brand new audience through this exciting collaboration while using Hatchery and Jane Startz Prods., by using this global brand to elevated levels."In 2007, the Hatchery and Jaffe/Braunstein introduced expects to produce a miniseries for Lifetime using the Andrews' "The Landry" nevertheless the project didn't meet up. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

CBS wants more 'Men'

Nina Tassler at TCACBS Entertainment prexy Nina Tassler mentioned Wednesday the network is at "early conversations" with Ashton Kutcher revisit "two and a half Males" next season.Tassler wouldn't enter into much detail but she told scribes throughout CBS' part of the TCA press tour in Pasadena that "everybody likes what they're doing" round the relaunched "Males." Due to the show's success inside the fall, it's not surprise that CBS and Warner Bros. TV are starting to own talks about refreshing the show for just about any tenth season. Kutcher signed single-season pact because he was employed last spring inside the wake of Charlie Sheen's spectacular meltdown that introduced to his firing. Furthermore to another deal with Kutcher, CBS and WBTV have to work through a completely new deal for your series, which means sorting new distribution deals for your show with broadcast Tv producers, where the initial "Males" deals were designated at nine seasons. (The show's cable syndie deal with Foreign exchange covers 10 seasons.)In their remarks for the scribe tribe, Tassler spoken up CBS' strong fall performance having its new and returning shows. But she was quick to like the creatives behind the shows. She made special mention of the Michael Patrick King, co-creator and showrunner of frosh comedy hit "2 Broke Women" ("He's merely a jewel") and J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan, the duo behind frosh drama "Person of great interestInch ("We hit the lottery").More later on . . . Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

It's a Girl For The Mentalist's Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez

Eric Winter and Roselyn Sanchez The Mentalist's Eric Winter and wife Roselyn Sanchez welcomed a baby girl Wednesday, People reports. Check out photos of Eric Winter Sebella Rose Winter was born at 4 a.m. on Jan. 4, weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces. "Welcome to the world beautiful Sebella Rose Winter! Mami and Daddy adore you! This joy is overwhelming," the new parents tweeted early Wednesday. "Thanks for all of the well wishes!" Winter, 35, and Sanchez, 38, have been married since 2008. Sanchez, also an actor, last guest-starred in an episode of Rizzoli & Isles.

Recording Academy sets honorees

It Academy features its lifetime achievement, Trustees and technical honours honorees for 2012. Visitors will probably be acknowledged inside a private NARAS event throughout Grammy Week in February. Next year's visitors of lifetime achievement nods are Southern rock originators the Allman Brothers and sisters Band, country-pop singer-guitarist Glen Campbell, late Brazilian singer-songwriter Antonio Carlos Jobim, country singer George Manley, session stars the Memphis Horns (trumpeter Wayne Jackson and saxophonist Andrew Love), Supremes lead singer and Motown solo star Diana Ross and late singer-songwriter and rap progenitor Gil Scott-Heron. Trustees Award visitors, acknowledged for contributions in non-performance fields, are New Orleans producer, songwriter, arranger and bandleader Dork Bartholomew, late Apple co-founder Jobs and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Technical Grammy visitors, reported with the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and chapter committees additionally to NARAS trustees, are German audio firm Celemony and late engineer Roger Nichols. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Talkback: Was It Wrong To Use Kim Jong-il's Death For Free Dictator Publicity?

The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il this past Sunday inspired hope in some and fear (that Kim’s mysterious 20-something son Kim Jong-un will continue his father’s tyranny) in others. But for Sacha Baron Cohen — the comedic actor/writer/producer who reveled in staging uncomfortable situations in his mockumentaries Borat and Brno — Kim’s death inspired a publicity push for his upcoming comedy The Dictator. Early Monday afternoon, Paramount and ostensibly The Dictator star, writer and producer issued a statement from the perspective of his Dictator character — North African despot General Aladeen: I am saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend Kim Jong-Il. Our thoughts go out to his wife and 813 children. “K-Jo” was a great leader, good friend and average double’s badminton partner. He died as he lived, in 3-inch lifts. An extraordinary man, he did so much to spread compassion, wisdom and uranium throughout the world. On behalf of myself, Ahmadinejad, Chavez and Newt Gingrich, we would like to welcome his son, Kim Jong Un into the “Axis of Evil.” In addition to the statement, which quickly circulated online, Cohen & Co. used the North Korean leader’s death as an excuse to start a Twitter feed for his Dictator character — @RepublicWadiya — and tweet his eulogy. The opportunistic marketing scheme raises the question: Was it wrong, disrespectful or just in bad taste for Cohen to use Kim Jong-il’s death to market his film, especially considering the millions of North Korean people who starved to death, lived in poverty and otherwise fallen victim to Kim’s ruthlessness regime? Or is it wrong for us to expect anything less from a man who has made a living out of provoking people with politically incorrect statements and gestures on-camera? · Kim Jong Il Dies, Sacha Baron Cohen’s Dictator Releases Statement [HuffPo] · Twitter [@RepublicWadiya]

Alwaleed buys $300 mil stake in Twitter

Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, a extended-term investor in News Corp. and Time Warner, mentioned his Kingdom Holding will receive a $300 million "proper stake" in Twitter, his first foray into social media together with a powerful election of confidence inside the micro-blogging site. "We're feeling social media will basically affect the media industry landscape in later on. Twitter will capture and monetize this positive trend," mentioned Kingdom's professional director of worldwide possibilities Ahmed Halawani in the statement. A good investment is created after several several days of discussions. Prince Alwaleed mentioned a good investment "reaffirms our ability in identifying appropriate options to buy promising, high-growth companies getting a worldwide impact." Twitter has 100 million active clients daily and 250 million tweets -- or short messages. It absolutely was used extensively among protestors to spread information through the Arab Spring uprising this year. The Prince, a greater-ranking part of the Saudi Royal family, features a internet worth mentioned being greater than $20 billion. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

NBC Buys Melodrama to become Executive Created by Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay NBC has purchased a script to become executive created legally & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, Deadline reviews. American Dream, from playwright Paul Kolsby, is definitely an hour-lengthy melodrama set behind the curtain of the reality show concerning the relationship between your network professionals and also the show's stars. See photos of Mariska Hargitay Kolsby has done his share of reality shows including Jersey Shoreline and Bridezillas. He developed the idea together with film producers Andrew Lazar and Steve Shainberg. Hargitay later came aboard after reading through the script. Do you consider you'll watch it?