Entertainment Lot

Country Date (Release Date)

UK15 March 2012

UK17 March 2012

Australia18 March 2012

Russia22 March 2012

Germany29 March 2012

USA30 March 2012

Bond 23 Finally Gets Release Date

All is back in order in the world of James Bond. We already knew that there was at least going to be another film in the series, but now it has been given an official release date of November 9, 2012. Bond’s future had been in some doubt due to MGM’s financial troubles; however, following MGM’s exit from bankruptcy at the end of last year, pre-production commenced on what will be the 23rd film in the series. This is from the official press release-

“Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, together with the Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., today announced that the 23rd James Bond film will commence production in late 2011 for a worldwide release on November 9, 2012.

Daniel Craig will be returning as the legendary British secret agent, with Sam Mendes directing a screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan.”

The fact that Sam Mendes is directing is certainly a point of interest, even for those who can’t stand 007’s smug-git face. Mendes is an Oscar winner and will surely seek to put his artistic stamp on the film. However, there are those who think it is workmanlike directors who are better suited to directing films such as this. Bond 23 is obviously of huge financial importance to the still unsteady MGM so I’m sure there will be limitations to how much Mendes will be allowed to express himself.

The 2012 release of Bond marks 50 years since the release of the first film, Dr.No. The films have grossed just over $5 billion at the worldwide box office, making it the second highest grossing film series of all time, beaten only by some bespectacled wizard.

The DirecTV and DISH Network battle is becoming more heated by the month. Not only are the two competing hard on price and content, but now DISH has another reason to choose their services. Well, if you own an iPad. The pay-TV provider has announced today that DISH Remote Access, the free application that gives DISH Network customers the ability to watch their live and recorded TV on compatible smartphones, tablets and laptops, is now available for the iPad.

That means that you’ll be able to watch live DISH TV content on the iPad, for free. To enjoy live and recorded TV viewing on the iPad, DISH Network customers must have a broadband-connected, Sling-enabled device such as the Sling Adapter – a small placeshifting device that pairs with DISH Network’s ViP 722 or 722k HDDVRs. So that’s definitely another hardware purchase, but if you already own one, even better.

In addition to TV viewing, the DISH Remote Access app also gives DISH Network customers with compatible DVRs the ability to browse and search up to nine days of programming, schedule DVR recordings, manage conflicts, delete shows on multiple receivers, and transform the iPad into a fully-functioning remote control. Not bad at all, and definitely something to make you consider DISH if you haven’t before.(Read more)

Heath Ledger Will Not Appear in ‘Dark Knight Rises’
DC Comics/Warner Bros.
Heath Ledger will not appear in The Dark Knight Rises. And we heard it from director Christopher Nolan himself.
At an awards season party last night for Inception, we asked the filmmaker about a report on a New Zealand website saying that Nolan and Warner Bros. were thinking of inserting unused footage of Ledger as the Joker into the movie. As with anything connected to Batman and Nolan, the rumor quickly spread around the globe.
But Nolan and his wife/producing partner Emma Thomas both swatted down the rumor to Heat Vision in a chat last night.
“I heard the rumor,” said Thomas. “We’re not doing that.”
Nolan also denied that Ledger would show up in the new film. The script isn’t even completed yet, he said, and Nolan believes that Ledger’s performance as the Joker should be contained to the 2008 movie.

Far East Movement – Like a G6 (Feat. The Cataracs & Dev)
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Lionsgate adopts poison pill defense, again.

TORONTO — Carl Icahn’s $7.00 per-share tender offer for outstanding Lionsgate shares may be done, but not his enthusiasm for open market purchases of stock in the mini-studio.

So Vancouver-based Lionsgate has adopted yet another poison pill defense to fight off a hostile takeover bid, and one firmly aimed at Icahn, the company’s largest shareholder with a 37.9% stake.

The latest shareholder rights plan aims to block “any initiative to acquire effective control of the company,” Lionsgate said in a statement, including Icahn buying out major stakeholders like himself, or making additional open-market purchases of stock.

Icahn in a July 1 SEC filing revealed he acquired 6.22 million Lionsgate shares between Tuesday and Thursday at $7.00 each to get to 44.7 million shares, or a 37.9% stake. (Read More)

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” continued its boxoffice dominance on Friday as it drained moviegoers’ wallets of an estimated $28.6 million.

Summit’s supernatural romance, playing in 4,468 theaters in North America, ticked up slightly on its third day of release from the $24.2 million it collected on Thursday as its domestic cume rose to $121.3 million.

Current estimates suggests the movie could power its way to a four-day holiday weekend gross of about $106 million, which would add up to an opening six-day tally at more than $198 million, putting it ahead of “New Moon’s” first six-day number of $178.9 million. (Read More)