Keck's Exclusives: Seinfeld Vet Heads to Harry's Law

Jason Alexander They do not frequently guest on other star's series (let us face the facts they hardly require the cash!), but among the Seinfeld quartet does that this fall. Emmy champion Jason Alexander, forever beloved as George Costanza, can look about the fifth episode of Harry's Law's year. Jason will have a public school teacher named Richard whohas been suspended from teaching after failing students. Here's the peculiarity expected of the David E. Kelley situation: The main reason Richard gave his student, Zack, a large body fat F happens because the little one dared call Darwinism "a crock." Survival from the fittest? We'll see when Kathy Bates' formidable Harriet Korn takes the situation to the court. Season 2 of Harry's Law premieres Sept. 21 at 9 pm ET/PT on NBC. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Performing rights key holders

ASCAPWest Coast:7920 Sunset Blvd., 3rd FloorLos Angeles, CA 90046Phone: 323-883-1000Fax: 323-883-1049East Coast:1 Lincoln PlazaNew York, NY 10023Phone: 212-621-6000Fax: 212-721-0955Execs: Paul Williams, prexy & chairman John LoFrumento, CEO Randy Grimmett, executive VP domestic membership Shawn LeMone, VP film & TV music / visual media Michael Kerker, assistant VP musical theater Sue Devine, sr. director film & TV music (New York) Mike Todd, sr. director film & TV music Charlyn Bernal, associate director film & TV music Jennifer Harmon, associate director film & TV music Jeff Jernigan, associate director film & TV music Alisha Davis, film & TV associate representative Nancy Knutsen, special consultant film & TV musicBMI (Los Angeles)8730 Sunset Blvd., 3rd Floor W.Los Angeles, CA 90069Phone: 310-659-9109Fax: 310-657-6947Execs: Doreen Ringer Ross, VP Film/TV Relations Ray Yee, Exec. Director Film/TV Relations Lisa Feldman, Sr. Director Film/TV Relations Anne Cecere, Director Film/TV Relations Phil Shrut, Assoc. Director Film/TV Relations Michael Crepezzi, Exec. Director Performing Rights Casey James Robison, Director Writer/Publisher Relations Marlene Meraz, Director, Media Relations Barbara Cane, VP & GM Writer/Publisher Relations Tracie Verlinde, Exec. Director Writer/Publisher Relations Delia Orjuela, VP Latin Marissa Lopez, Assoc. Director LatinBMI (Nashville)10 Music Square EastNashville, TN 37203Phone: 615-401-2000Execs: Jody Williams, VP Writer/Publisher Relations Clay Bradley, AVP, Writer/Publisher Relations Kay Clary, Sr. Director Media Relations Bruce Esworthy, Sr. VP, Finance/Administration & CFO Jim King, Sr. VP, Business Technology BMI (New York)7 World Trade Center250 Greenwich St. New York, NY 10007-0030Phone: 212-220-3000Fax: 212-246-2163Execs: Del R. Bryant, President & CEO Mike O'Neill, Sr. VP Repertoire & Licensing Richard Conlon, Sr. VP, Corporate Strategy, Communications & New Media Philip R. Graham, Sr. VP Writer/Publisher Relations Alison Smith, Sr. VP Performing Rights Charlie Feldman, VP Writer/Publisher Relations Samantha Cox, Exec. Director Writer/Publisher Relations Wardell Malloy, Sr. Director, Writer/Publisher Relations Jamil Walker, Associate Director, Media RelationsSESAC (Atlanta)981 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW, Suite 111Atlanta, GA 30318Phone: 404-897-1330Fax: 404-897-1306Execs: Cappriccieo Scates, associate director, writer/publisher relationsSESAC (Los Angeles)6100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700Los Angeles, CA 90048Phone: 323.937.3722Fax: 323.937.3733Execs: James Leach, VP writer/publisher relations, West Coast operations JJ Cheng, associate VP, SESAC Latina Nelson Gonzalez, marketing manager, SESAC Latina Celeste Zendejas, associate director, SESAC LatinaSESAC (Miami)420 Lincoln Road, Suite 502Miami, FL 33139Phone: 305-534-7500Fax: 305-534-7578Execs: Albert Ramirez III, associate director, SESAC LatinaSESAC (Nashville)55 Music Square EastNashville, TN 37203Phone: 615-320-0055Fax: 615-963-3527Execs: Tim Fink, VP, writer/publisher relations Shannan Hatch, Sr. Director, writer/publisher relations John Mullins, Sr. Director, writer/publisher relations Amy Beth Hale, Director, affiliate servicesSESAC (New York)152 W 57th St, 57th FloorNew York, NY 10019Phone: 212-586-3450Fax: 212-489-5699Execs: Trevor Gale, Sr. VP, writer/publisher relations Linda Lorence-Critelli, VP, writer/publisher relations Jamie Dominguez, Director, writer/publisher relations SOCAN 41 Valleybrook Drive Toronto, ON M3B 2S6 Canada Phone: 416-445-8700 Toll free: 1-800-55-SOCAN Fax: 416-445-7108 Execs: Eric Baptiste, CEO Jennifer Brown, VP licensing Betsy Chaly, Director marketing & communications Dan Greenwood, VP corporate planning & business change Jeff King, COO France Lafleur, VP membership & GM Quebec & Atlantic Region Mike Lewin, VP distribution operations Christian Sarrazin, VP industry relations & strategic intelligence Janice Scott, VP information technology C. Paul Spurgeon, VP legal services & general counsel Randy Wark, VP human resources & CAO David Wood, CFO Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

For Hope Davis, Stage Fright Feeds Her Performances

Although Hope Davis, star of the new comedy feature "The Family Tree," was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for playing Hillary Clinton in the HBO film "The Special Relationship" and an Emmy for playing Mia on HBO's "In Treatment" and was named best actress by the New York Film Critics Circle for her work in "American Splendor" and "The Secret Lives of Dentists," theater is her first love. Even after more than 380 performances on Broadway and in Los Angeles as Annette in "God of Carnage"for which she received a Tony nominationDavis says she was sad to see the show end. That may be surprising for someone who claims that she once had stage fright so bad, she considered quitting acting.Back Stage talked with Davis about her fear of auditioning, how she got over it, what inspired her to become an actor, what she thinks about the upcoming film version of "God of Carnage" (which she's not in), and how one simple piece of acting advice has stuck with her more than any other.Back Stage: When did you realize you wanted to be an actor? Hope Davis: When I went to London for my junior year of college. I took this theater studies program and studied with various teachers from the RSC [Royal Shakespeare Company]. I just thought it would be a really interesting life. I thought it wouldn't be boring for a minute, and in fact it hasn't been. It just unfolded from there. That year in London, I saw a million plays. I saw Anthony Hopkins on stage and Tony Sher and Roger Rees and Helen Mirren, and I just thought this was the place to be. Of course, I've never been on the London stage in my entire career. Although that may change next spring.Back Stage: Why? What's happening next spring? Davis: There's a chance "God of Carnage," the play that we did on Broadway and in L.A., we might do it in London and in Paris next spring. Back Stage: So what happened after college? Davis: I didn't feel quite ready for New York. I thought I would just sink there; I didn't want to go there straight from college. So I moved to Chicago with a group of friends. In Chicago at that time, la Steppenwolf, you could start a theater company in any sort of black box, any storefront spaceanywhere, reallyand people would come. I stayed in Chicago for four years total and did a bunch of theater there, at the Goodman and with various theater companies, and when I felt like I had a little bit of wind behind me, I came to New York. There I was lucky enough to study with Uta Hagen for a couple of years at HB Studio before she became really unwell. Then I studied with Victor Garber, who got me one of my first theater jobs in New York.Back Stage: Do you remember how you got your SAG card? Davis: Yes, it was for the movie "Flatliners." I had done a David Mamet play in Chicago called "Speed-the-Plow." Joel Schumacher, a film director, had directed the play, and then he asked me to be in this movie. You have to figure out a way to worm your way in [to SAG]. You can't hope to just walk down the streets of New York City or L.A. and get discovered. You've got to make a little path for yourself. You have to form a plan, some way of coming in the back door. So yeah, getting my SAG card was not so hard. Back Stage: With "God of Carnage," you did so many performances on Broadway and then in Los Angeles. What's your best advice for actors for keeping a performance fresh every night? Davis: For those of us who battled nerves during the audition years and stage fright, it does kind of feed you in the end. I was never the person who could joke around backstage and then hit the stage and knock it out of the park. I'm always very nervous. I need to concentrate. I was a very nervous auditioner when I was in my 20s. I was almost paralyzed with nerves, to the point where I thought of giving up a couple of times. I just found the whole idea so daunting. But that kind of works for you with a play like "God of Carnage." A play like that really demands that you be really awake and on, because two seconds later you're going to have a cue and you've got to stay with it. That play is also very uniqueit's tremendously fun to do; the cast gets along beautifully; all four of us gave our all every night, so there was nobody that was sleepwalking through it. Really, with that play you couldn't. It's always a challenge to repeat something time after time, but we do find the play really funny and interesting, and that certainly helps a lot. I'm sure there are playsyou wouldn't want to do "Peer Gynt" that many times. [Laughs]. And it's only 85 minutes long, which also helps. I think my stage fright always keeps it interesting for me. Back Stage: So you're saying you still get stage fright now? Davis: I don't have trembling hands anymore, but I never feel blas about the curtain going up. I'm always a little bit worked up right before. Back Stage: Did you ever get over your fear of auditioning? Davis: I did, actually. It took me a long time. When you're first starting out, you think you might be good at [acting] but you don't really know if you are, and there's all of that to contend with, along with just the intense competition and how many people are out there. I would say at some point in my 30s, I kind of realized it was something I was good at. It's when you try to prove yourself and nobody knows youit just feels especially painful. But it's like that for everybody, and you just have to push through. I loved [acting] so much, I couldn't quite give up. I just kind of muscled my way through it. That did go away, thankfully. There are some bits of grace that come with getting older. [Laughs]Back Stage: Are you interested at all in seeing the film version of "God of Carnage" that Roman Polanski is directing? Davis: You know, I can't say that I am. I have young kids, and it's pretty hard for me to get to the movies as it is. I can't really understand how it's going to work. I mean, those are great actors: Kate Winslet, I love. Jodie Foster, come on, she's fantastic. But Roman Polanski making a comedy? I don't know. The thing to me that's funny about this play is watching four people moving in and out of one another's spaces, what happens when they get near one another, and what the other two people are doing when someone's speaking. I'm not sure how they're going to capture it on film. I imagine it will be just a totally different animal. I don't know. If it gets great reviews, I'll go see it. Back Stage: What's the most important acting lesson you've ever learned? Davis: It's so simple. Actor William Petersen was in "Speed-the-Plow" with me, the play Joel Schumacher directed. He was asked a question by someone in a talk-back after the play one night. He said, "I'll tell you what acting is: You have to be the guy." I have to say, over the years that has really resonated for me. You're not trying to show the guy or indicate the guy or explain the guy or make sense of the guy; you have to be the guy. Be the person that the script is telling you to be. You can't judge it and you can't change it; you have to just be it. For an actor, that just makes sense. I have to say I've thought of those words off and on over the years, and they've really helped. A lot of times I think actors become overanalytical, especially stage actors, when you're trying to play these great parts or these great characters, and ultimately you have to just surrender to the words that are on the page.

Erectile dysfunction Zwick To Direct Legendary Easts First Film The Truly Amazing Wall: Marshall Herskovitz & Chuck Roven Also Attached

BREAKING: Erectile dysfunction Zwick will direct The Truly Amazing Wall, the very first work for Legendary East, that Hong Kong-based stand alone entertainment company which was began by Legendary Entertainment’s Thomas Tullwith Asian partners. Zwick and the longtime partner Marshall Herskovitz will write the script with different story concerning the mystery behind China’s finest synthetic structure as imagined by Legendary chairman Thomas Tull and World War Z author Max Brooks. Located in Hong Kong with Chinese management and worldwide traders besidesTull,the brand new company really wants to be situated to create content that's as in a commercial sense viable within China and also the relaxation around the globe. The Truly Amazing Wall is going to be created byLegendary’s Tull and Jon Jashni, in addition to Atlas Entertainment’s Alex Gartner and Chuck Rovenwho is really a frequent producer on Legendary/Warner Brosfilms (presently in production about the Dark Dark night Increases and Guy Of Steel), and Zwick and Herskovitz. The project is going to be distributed in China by Legendary Easts co-production partner, Huayi Siblings, while distribution in most other areas from the globe is predicted to become handled by Warner Bros Pictures, that is Legendary Entertainment’s longtimepartneron films. Our partnership with Erectile dysfunction and Marshall is suggestive of the creative ambition and financial commitment we're getting to Legendary East — not the coming year or the following month, however nowadays, stated Jon Jashni, Legendary Entertainments Chief Creative Officer, who also can serve as an consultant towards the Legendary East team. Remarkable ability to translate a feeling of history while interacting emotion and question has been shown frequently. The Truly Amazing Wall demonstrates the kind of globally-appealing, commercial movie we plan to have Legendary East become noted for.”

Win 'The Big Lebowski' Blu-ray from Moviefone!

To celebrate the upcoming release of 'The Big Lebowski' on Blu-ray, Moviefone is giving away DVDs to six lucky league gamers. But don't worry Dudes and Dudettes, you won't even need to leave the comfort of your own rug to enter this giveaway. All it takes is a little creativity -- possibly fueled by several White Russians, or a little of that good sarsparilla. To nab yourself a copy of the Coen brothers' 1998 cult hit in hi-def, all you need to do is think up a brilliant title for a 'Big Lebowski' sequel. Now, before you get too excited, we should say that there isn't a second film in the works (well, not that we know of) -- this giveaway is just an opportunity for 'Lebowski' superfans to have some fun. The grand prize is a 'The Big Lebowski' Blu-Ray box set and a Dude action figure -- complete with rug and pajama bottoms. Five runners-up will receive the box set alone. To prevent sweepstakes nihilists from stuffing the proverbial briefcase, we are limiting this contest to one entry per email address, so make your submission count. To enter for your chance to win, submit a 'Lebowski' sequel title in the module below. Make sure to leave your comment by 6PM EST on Thursday, August 18, and use a valid email address. IMPORTANT NOTE: When you sign up and submit your entry, make sure you do so by using one of the following email accounts: Gmail, Yahoo! or AOL. Do NOT use a social network to login and create an account. We need your email address in order to contact you, should you win. Also, if you haven't already heard, the 'Big Lebowski' cast will be reuniting in New York City tonight. We'll have live coverage of the event (including a stream of the Q+A session with all the stars of the film). All you have to do is head here and follow @moviefone for all your Lebowski reunion needs. Moviefone's giveaway is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. To enter, please leave a comment per the instructions on this page. The comment must be left before 6:00pm Eastern Time on August 18, 2011. You may enter once per email address, and six winners will be selected. One winner will receive the following item: (1) Big Lebowski Blu-ray DVD (2) Dude Action Figure Click Here for complete Official Rules.

'Smurfs' vs. 'Cars 2': Who's Winning the Toy Wars?

Look for a crush of little blue characters -- say, a plush 14-inch talking Clumsy Smurf wearing a designer T-shirt -- to invade the holidays this year. As The Smurfs did better at the box office than anticipated, Smurf toys have been dancing into consumers' carts.our editor recommendsBox Office Update: 'Smurfs' is No. 1 Pic in North America, 'Cowboys' Falls to No. 2'Smurfs' Sequel Set for Aug. 2013 Release'Green Lantern,' 'Cars 2' Products Among Toy Fair's Hot Properties Disney: 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Merchandise Has Made $1.6B in SalesTop 10 movies moving the most merchandise "Smurfs is selling through very well," says Jeremy Padawer, executive vp marketing and business development at Jakks Pacific, the Malibu-based toy manufacturer with the master license for The Smurfs. PHOTOS: Toy Wars -- Merchandise from a Blockbuster Summer Competing against two of the biggest toy-related franchises ever -- Cars and Transformers -- Smurfs has broken out in what is arguably the most competitive summer in movie history for blockbuster family movies that generate domestic and international licensing and retail merchandising revenue. This summer served up 17 films that amount to toy business bait, including Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, X-Men: First Class, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Green Lantern and Winnie the Pooh -- up from the 10 or so in previous summers. Jakks Pacific, with revenue last year of $747 million, competes against industry giants Mattel and Hasbro (with $5.9 billion and $4 billion in 2010 sales, respectively). The largest merchandising program in history is being staged for Cars 2 by Disney, which expects the Pixar movie to surpass the Toy Story 3 licensing bonanza last year of $2.8 billion sales and to eclipse Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith record in 2005 of $3.5 billion in retail. Meanwhile, Hasbro is making a competitive marketing blitz for Transformers: Dark of the Moon with 350 licensees, well above the 250 for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in 2009. The nostalgia-driven success of Smurfs could be the kind of holy grail for the licensing world that all these franchises are seeking. It's the moment when the franchise becomes timeless and the toys continue to move independent of box office. Those few franchises are the only ones that Lego looks to license for the "construction category." Their current lineup includes Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars, the reigning king of toy licenses. "We're taking properties that don't rely on the box office because the peaks and valleys that come with that kind of business model are pretty tough to manage in the marketplace," says Michael McNally, Lego's U.S. brand relations director. "If something only sells for three weeks out of the year, when it has big box office, then drops off completely as some properties do, that's not sustainable. So we look for properties that have a timeless quality attached to the characters." No property in the modern era better exemplifies sustainability than Star Wars, which remains a top seller even though there hasn't been a new movie since 2008 (although there have been new TV shows). NPD ranks Star Wars as the fourth biggest seller this year and the top movie license entering summer. "Year in and year out Star Wars is popular," says Toys R Us's senior PR manager Bob Friedland. Summer is only the opening salvo in the toy wars. About a third of the year's business will be done before Labor Day. The other two thirds of movie merchandise sales will be in the rest of the year, mostly in December. This summer the biggest displays in Kmart, Target, Wal-Mart and Toys R Us have been for Cars 2 and Transformers. The success of the Smurfs, however, is a signal for retailers as to how to prepare for the holidays. That is why by this Christmas Papa Smurf and Smurfette expect to be sharing more shelf space and front of store visibility with Lightning McQueen and Bummblebee the Autobot. "It's really about having the toys the kids want when they want them," says Friedland. "They know the personalities they've seen in movies and on TV." The stakes are huge. The research firm NPD says licensed toys and games generated $6.3 billion in retail sales through the beginning of July, a one% increase over the same period a year ago. The results this summer have already boosted Hasbro and Mattel, who both credit movie related sales for higher second quarter 2011 financial results. For the full year analyst Edward Woo of Wedbush Securities estimates Transformers will add $700 million in sales to Hasbro and Cars 2 will pad Mattel revenues by $500 million. Although Cars 2 has more display space in stores and more products, Hasbro benefits because it doesn't just license Transformers, it owns the rights to the property first invented in Japan. That means they control the TV version, video releases and don't share product licenses and merchandising revenues with anyone else. Drew Crumb and David Pang in a June research report for Stifel Nicolaus explained the difference: "Hasbro does NOT share the Transformers toy IP (intellectual property) with other toy manufacturers so we still think the Transformers line should post one of the biggest sales figures for an individual toy manufacturer in '11." It used to be that toy sales were gravy for studios like Paramount, Sony and Disney. But these days licensing can be as lucrative as the movie box office and producers count on that to cover costs which often exceed $150 million. "Licensed merchandising is no longer a side show," says Kerry Phellan, head of consumer products for DreamWorks Animation and formerly of Pixar. "It is now part of a business problem and whatever they count on has to be there in order to get the revenue needed to cover the issue, expense and all this marketing." The shift in the role of licensing can be traced to 2000 when Disney first established a franchise management team, a move Andy Mooney, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products Worldwide, said at an investors conference in February was "truly a game-changer." Mooney said that was when Disney began a "uniquely active approach to licensing." What he means is that until 2000, they had just focused on deal making while providing minimal input. "Passive licensing is a highly efficient business model in terms of (profit) margin," Mooney told investors, "but it's also highly ineffective at creating sustained growth." So Disney with Cars 2 was actively managing not just the licensing, but also creation of more than 300 toys, down to the product mix at key retail outlets. For Toys R Us, for example, they coordinated 20 different licensees to provide 70 exclusive items. For the wooden toy category Disney couldn't find a licensee they liked so they designed their own line using a private label supplier to execute and deliver the products. This aggressive form of product line management, Mooney said, is "unique to entertainment industry licensing and it has really been a key contributor to growth at (Disney) over the last decade." So for Cars 2 that meant making an extra special effort to create characters that serve the movie but also work for retail. "They did an amazing job inventing that world for us," says Doug Wadleigh, Mattel's senior vp, global entertainment. "Within the film there are over 600 new characters, many in the background, but they provide a wealth of opportunities to create toys from." Movie toy and game royalties averaged 9.4% last year, according to Licensing Letter publisher Ira Mayer, adding: "Cars 2 is going to get several points beyond that because they can command a premium." Stifel Nicolaus estimates Cars 2 commanded a lofty 15% royalty. That premium is largely because the brand will continue even after the movie is released in theaters and home video. By Disney's estimate since the original Cars in 2005, consumer product sales have exceeded $10 billion - before Cars 2. Sales have been strong even though the movie hasn't performed as well as many of the other Pixar hits in theaters or with critics. Global ticket sales are just over $400 million worldwide, compared to over $1 billion for Toy Story 3 last year. And Cars 2 has only a 38% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest for any Pixar movie. Toy Story 3 had 99% approval. However, Cars has something else going for it in terms of toys. Its appeal is that it turned something kids did anyway into a licensable franchise. "Kids were already collecting die cast cars, and playing with them," says Friedland, "but it gave a very friendly personality to these vehicles." That is also an attribute that has helped Hasbro. "Transformers is a classic play pattern for boys," says Mayer. "It tests well outside the movie. In fact, Hasbro says the toys are really about a franchise and not connected to the movie, although particular toys are. It's about the whole idea of Transformers." Not every movie becomes a franchise, as Smurfs aspires to be, and some even fail to generate toy sales. The Universal release Hop sold movie tickets at Easter but not many licensed toys. Weinstein Company's Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil didn't sell tickets or toys. Universal's 1990 Jetson's feature famously grossed only $20 million domestically despite name recognition, huge marketing, fast food tie ins and extensive licensing. It was the retailers who made a huge bet on the associated toy line upfront that had to bear the brunt of the losses. Another disappointment was the early sales of Harry Potter toys when the franchise first launched 11 years ago. The movies have continued to be big hits but Warner Bros. stopped licensing kids' toys after the third movie, Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004. They dropped licenses with Mattel and trading cards from Hasbro and now say that the content of the movies "aged up" and were no longer for little kids. So now Potter-mania is aimed at those seeking high end collectables (including art, figurines, and prop replicas) to adult collectors, So you can find Potter collectables at FAO Schwartz from scarf's, lunch boxes and hats to Hogwarts Castle for $149.99 but not nearly as much at Toys R Us (which owns FAO Schwartz). Mayer said there was another problem: "J.K. Rowling was very specific in limiting how much merchandise there could be, so there was never an array of merchandise you would expect from that kind of movie." Warner's did recently license Harry Potter Jelly Belly candy; and Lego has had a Potter license since 2001 and has found success with it. "I think being able to build the scenes from the movie which are so fantasy based is awesome for anybody who has watched the movies," says McNally. "It's a story that appeals to both boys and girls, and mini figure versions of the characters are always collectable so we have had an adult audience as well." Some movies succeed by limiting what they license on purpose. DreamWorks Animation had success earlier this year with Kung Fu Panda 2, without licensing construction toys, for instance. DreamWorks saw stuffed animals from Mattel's Fisher Price division as "a natural extension of what we know fans love," says Phelan. "We know they are going to want to take home a piece of the movie and our films have the benefit of being largely unisexual and equally exploit in gender appeal so we obviously do figural play so boys can live out the action and girls may want a more cute cuddly plush toy." One trend in toys is toward high tech and Phelan said they sought digital connections. "We had great success with our mobile game ap," said Phelan. "During the movie (release) window it was the number one mobile game ap for kids and number one on the Ipad for kids." Green Lantern fell below expectations in theaters but toy sales were robust. "Kids don't worry about what's doing well at the box office," said Friedland, who says it benefited from years as a comic book. "They just want to play with toys made for characters they like. You also have collectors interested in these toys." Now that The Smurfs has exceeded expectations, Jakks is trying to meet the demand from retailers and strategize how to make it into a franchise with legs. However, the surprise success presents a logistical challenge. "When you're dealing with an event based property, where you don't necessarily have retail's immediate understanding of the potential impact," says Padawer, "chasing it right away is really difficult for a manufacturer because it takes 100 days to order materials and another 20 days to ship it from Hong Kong." The goal of creating a lasting franchise is what drives Hollywood and retailers. "Clearly we want to maximize the property when it's on the big screen," says Mattel's Wadleigh, "but it's more important for us to bring our brand management skills to it to make sure that brand, that property, stays on the shelf long after its life on the big screen." Georg Szalai contributed to this report. Related Topics The Smurfs Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Cars 2 Transformers: Dark of the Moon Green Lantern Star Wars

'RJ Berger' falls on hard times at MTV

MTV has canceled "Hard Times of RJ Berger" after two seasons. An MTV spokesperson confirmed the news, which was tweeted Seth Grahame-Smith, the series' showrunner and co-creator with David Katzenberg. Paul Iacono starred as the title character in the series, whose second season of 12 episodes ended in May. "RJ" premiered in 2010 to 2.6 million viewers and MTV's best launch at the time in the 12-34 demo since 2008, and reached as high as 3.1 million viewers with its season-two premiere (which followed the third-season premiere of "Jersey Shore"). By the end of its run, however, the aud for "RJ" had dropped below one million. "RJ" helped pave the way for MTV's commitment to scripted TV, which has deepened with current series including "Teen Wolf" and "Awkward." Additionally, MTV will sneak-peek "I Just Want My Pants Back" after the Video Music Awards on Aug. 28, then launch "Ridiculousness" with Rob Dyrdek and comedy-horror hybrid "Death Valley" the following night. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Seth MacFarlane to Emcee Charlie Sheen Roast

Seth MacFarlane, Charlie Sheen Comedy Central has called on Family Guy creator and executive producer (and unofficial roasting expert) Seth MacFarlane to emcee The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen, the network announced Thursday. The network first announced plans to roast Sheen in early July, just a few months after he was fired from Two and a Half Men and subsequently took his "Violent Torpedo of Truth" comedy tour on the road. When can you next catch Charlie Sheen on TV, online or on demand? Add him to your Watchlist and you'll know for sure "I'm very excited to work with Comedy Central again on the roast," MacFarlane said in a statement. "Charlie is a true icon with a talent that is strong and pure and concentrated into small crystals which can be smoked or eaten." This will be MacFarlane's third consecutive effort as roast master, following the roasts of David Hasselhoff in 2010 and Donald Trump earlier this year. MacFarlane, 37, will be the only person to host three ceremonies. "In addition to his sharp wit, Seth is way more suave and sophisticated than we are," Comedy Central's head of original programming and production, Kent Alterman, said. "We continue to try and soil him." The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen will tape Sept. 10 in Los Angeles and air on Monday, Sept. 19 at 10/9c, the same night that the new season of Two and a Half Men premieres on CBS.

Forex renews 'Louie,' 'Wilfred,' 'Philadelphia'

LandgrafFX, feeling more comfortable with its burgeoning comedy slate, has given season renewal to "Louie," "Wilfred" and "It Certainly Is Sunny in Philadelphia." Announcement is made Saturday in the cabler's Television Experts Assn. panel by network topper John Landgraf, who had been given a 3-year extension on his deal. Landgraf made comedy important about last year and also the network presently has five laffers about the air, with all of carrying out relatively well. While "Louie" and "Wilfred" are becoming one-season pick-ups, "Sunny" gets a 2-season renewal. Which means the reduced-budget skein may have arrived at nine seasons, which makes it the longest-running live-action comedy in fundamental cable history. It had not been only the comedies that Landgraf was offering in the sesh. Timothy Olyphant-starrer "Justified" was up 14% in the second season and you will find high expectation for that 4th season of "Sons of Anarchy," which returns Sept. 6. Overall, Forex is originating off its most-viewed year ever, up 18% within the 18-49 demo and 19% as a whole audiences. Obviously, not every recent series were success tales. Both buddy cop series "Terriers" and boxing drama "Lights Out" were drawn after one season due to low rankings. Next is "American Horror Story," from Ryan Murphy and Kaira Falchuk. Murphy is really a Forex vet, getting been the creative pressure of "Puppy nip/Tuck" -- among the cabler's signature series. Landgraf has additionally seen dailies on supernatural pilot "Forces" and Southern crime saga "Outlaw Country," and it is looking to make choices on whether he'll pick individuals as much as series within the next 2 or 3 several weeks. Another change visiting Forex would be that the cabler is going to be home of school football this fall, covering Large-12, Pac-12 and Conference USA games for any 14-week package. The pigskin addition can help the internet broaden its choices, and Landgraf acknowledged by using many cablers airing sports, Forex must be for the reason that game. "You want to be among the biggest systems in the usa and every one of (our competition) possess some sports," Landgraf stated. "ESPN can there be, out of the box USA and Turner. Fox Sports sees Forex like a sports platform." Additionally to obtaining two seasons of "Sunny," plus an selection for another, Landgraf stated Forex Prods. has joined into a contract with RCG, the development shingle of "Sunny" professional producers Take advantage of McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. Internet also introduced it's pacted with Rogers Media to produce Forex Canada. Funnel will launch November. 1 like a digital service, offering FX's original series, too U.S. acquired movies and series.About the bigscreen front, Forex has bought the exclusive fundamental cable privileges to "Rise from the Planet from the Apes" and "Crazy Stupid Love." "Apes" were built with a solid opening weekend and "Love," starring Steve Carell, is a critical darling.The net's other recent movie pick-ups include "Captain America," "Buddies With Benefits" and "Horrible Bosses." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

FX Acquires 'Rise Of The Planet of The Apes' & 'Crazy, Stupid, Love'

FX is adding another No. 1 summer opener to its movie lineup. The cable network has bought the exclusive TV rights to this weekend's new entry, Fox's Rise Of The Planet of The Apes, which is exceeding expectations and is now on track to gross $50 million. Additionally, FX has also acquired the critically praised Warner Bros. comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, which opened last weekend and is expected to gross about $42 million by Sunday. Apes and Crazy, Stupid, Love movies Apes join the recent FX acquisitions of Friends With Benefits, Horrible Bosses, Captain America: The First Avenger & Thor (both under FX's 2008 output deal with Marvel), Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Bad Teacher, Green Lantern, The Hangover Part II, Rio, Super 8, X-Men: First Class, Just Go With It, The Green Hornet, Tron: Legacy, and Kung Fu Panda 2.

Mark Steven Johnson Driving Autobahn

He'll direct the car thrillerAfter the critical and audience bashing handed out to When in Rome, you might forgive Mark Steven Johnson for skipping movies for a while. But he's back in the driver's seat for a project called Autobahn. Written by Greg Russo, the film - which used to be called I-95 - has now been transplanted from its original America-land setting to the wide, speed-happy roads of Germany, where a washed-up former formula one driver awakens trapped in a BMW at the side of the road. A phone starts to ring in the glove box, and when he picks up, he's chillingly told that the car is one giant bomb and he must drive it to a specific target or his wife and daughter will be killed. Cue some speed. Or, actually, Speed, by the sound of it. That crossed with bits of Cellular. And maybe Phone Booth. Inferno Entertainment is backing the project and is looking to track down a cast before selling the rights to the movie at this November's American Film Market. Maybe they should call John Cusack, who almost got to star in a similar-sounding project called Stopping Power a few years ago...

Constantly Trailer Online

Anton Yelchin goes the length.... Coming off a effective showing at Sundance, where it scooped honours for the best Picture and finest Actress, lengthy distance love story Constantly has launched its first trailer, which you'll keep an eye on at Apple. The film finds Anton Yelchin and Blighty's own Felicity Johnson as university students from opposite sides from the Atlantic who fall madly in love while she's studying in LA. Their time together is blissful and romantic plus they start thinking about the near future. However paperwork will get in the manner when Anna (Johnson) overstays her welcome (and her visa) and it is unceremoniously delivered back towards the United kingdom. Signal angsty telephone calls between your two and Jacob (Yelchin) going to her when he is able to. The relationship begins to fray using the distance together, and shortly they are beginning to fret it can't survive the lengthy periods of separation. Browse the trailer and tell us your ideas. With the kind of Alex Kingston, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Messina and Charlie Bewley also one of the cast, Drake Doremus' film will arrive in america this fall. But, such as the central pair, us Britons will need to get accustomed to waiting, because it does not allow it to be across water-feature until next Feb.

Boffo summer can't save year's weak B.O.

"Cowboys and Aliens" "The Smurfs" overperformed beyond all expectations but did not quite win the weekend. Despite winning the weekend, "Cowboys and Aliens" wasn't the blockbuster many B.O. pundits had expected -- and if 2011 is to catch up this summer, it'll be up to a few remaining August hopefuls.The weekend's lively horse race between "Cowboys and Aliens" and "The Smurfs" earned plenty of headlines -- Universal's "Cowboys" ended up barely winning the weekend, with $36.4 million, vs. a better-than-expected $35.6 million for "Smurfs" -- but the bigger picture got lost in the dust.Year-to-date 2011 box office continues to lag at 4% behind last year, though that's better than at the beginning of summer, when bizzers boldly forecasted summer pics would help boost the 7% dip from the year-earlier period.But while upcoming titles like "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" or "Conan the Barbarian" could still perform strongly, it's unlikely that the remaining summer pics will be able to lift this year's overall domestic box office to match or beat that of 2010: Tentpoles taper off by August, so they would have to produce truly surprising results to turn around the B.O.The year's totals steadily gained ground this summer, but B.O. continues to trail last year by $283.5 million. To put it in perspective, it would take another hit the size of "The Hangover Part II," with its domestic gross of $253 million, to make up that amount.Also, box office last year tallied roughly $986 million from Aug. 1 through Labor Day weekend, with top performers like Sony's "The Other Guys" and Lionsgate's "The Expendables." That means if overall 2011 B.O. is to surpass last year by Labor Day, the remaining summer slate and holdovers will have to earn just shy of $1.27 billion.Still, summer box office has been robust so far.As of July 28, summer box office (from May 6) was ahead 3% of the comparable period in 2010. Now, summer totals are up 3.9% thanks to a 22% hike in box office through Sunday.Despite its win, "Cowboys," with a reported $163 million budget (not including P&A costs), should have made more. As one B.O. pundit said, "It just didn't penetrate interest levels the way a big-budgeted movie like that should have."Sony's live action-toon hybrid "Smurfs" overperformed all expectations, helped by 45% of ticket sales from 3D.This past weekend's "Cowboys" and "Smurfs," along with holdovers "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," beat last year's "Inception," "Dinner for Schmucks" and "Salt" -- none of which crossed $30 million for the weekend.If each weekend from now through the end of summer can perform similarly, then summer could end up righting an off year. That's a tall order -- but not impossible.The remaining summer releases will need to gain ground with under-25 auds and not just rely on adult support in the manner of "Cowboys," "Smurfs" and "Crazy Stupid Love."In the case of "Smurfs," families accounted for 65% of the opening aud, of which 40% were parents. "Cowboys" skewed mostly toward adult moviegoers, with 63% of its opening aud over 30, while 71% of "Crazy Stupid Love" moviegoers were over 25.It came down to Sunday grosses to break the tie between "Cowboys" and "Smurfs." And while both pics appealed to reliable Sunday audiences of adults and families, "Smurfs" had the advantage appealing to both. In the end, however, "Cowboys" likely drew a larger-than-expected portion of over-25 auds."Crazy Stupid Love," from Warner Bros., came in with a revised $19.1 million, down slightly from the pic's estimated weekend debut of $19.3 million.Upcoming pics with potential under-25 appeal include a pair of horror-thrillers, New Line's "Final Destination 5" on Aug. 12 and FilmDistrict's "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" on Aug. 26, as well as retreads "Conan," from Lionsgate on Aug. 19, and Fox's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," which bows Friday. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com