VMAs Score MTVs Greatest Audience Ever

BeyoncPregnancy Affects ‘A Star Comes Into The World’ Rhianna’s male alter ego and Beyonc’s recently revealed baby bump increased last evening’s 2011 Video Music Honours to some record-breaking 12.4 million total audiences, the biggest audience ever for MTV. Within the network’s target persons 12-34 audience, the VMAs shipped a ten.8 rating (8.5 million), which makes it MTVs most-viewed telecast ever within the demo. Versus this past year’s show, the VMAs were up 8% with persons 12-34 and 9% with total audiences. The 2011 VMAs now rank because the No. 1 cable telecast of 2011 with persons 12-34 and also the No. 1 non-sports cable telecast of 2011 with total audiences. This can be a throwback to MTV’s past — prior to the Jersey Shoreline gang required over and began breaking rankings records — once the VMAs were the once-music funnel’s top attraction.

What's Next for Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey made headlines earlier this week when he made a video professing his love for "The Help" actress Emma Stone, which crashed the actor's official website.After breaking out in the "Ace Ventura" films and 1994's "The Mask," in which he co-starred with Cameron Diaz, Carrey has made a steady flow of movies, with "Eternal Sunshine and the Spotless Mind" and "The Truman Show." Most recently, Carrey starred in "Mr. Popper's Penguins" and "I Love You Phillip Morris," the latter with Ewan McGregor. He even did a brief stint on NBC's "The Office" in the seventh season finale, "Search Committee."But what does the Canadian-American actor have lined up next?According to reports, Carrey is attached to the comedy "Under Cover," in which he would play a man who turns to "the therapeutic power of a cover band."There were rumors swirling that Carrey and Amy Adams would voice the popular characters for the animated feature "Popeye," but Sony told Collider earlier this month that those casting reports were false. The Hollywood Reporter

Alexander Skarsgrd approaching The East

Eco-terrorism drama The East looks to be collecting some of the hottest young stars in Hollywood for its leading roles. With Brit Marling already in the bag, Heat Vision reports that Alexander Skarsgård is in talks to take the male lead.The film follows the story of a female FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate a group of militant eco-warriors known as The East. Skarsgård is being lined up to play the group's leader, who has a number of unethical corporations on his hit list.Marling will play the aforementioned fed, and the young actress has also co-written the script, just as she did on Sundance hit Sound Of My Voice. That film's director Zat Batmanglij is also set to fill the director's chair this time around.The film will likely be released by Fox Searchlight (which was previously home to Sound Of My Voice) with shooting set to begin in Nashville in October.Skarsgård meanwhile has a lot of varied work to occupy his plate at present. He can soon be seen in Lars Von Trier's Melancholia and will appear alongside Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan in comedy drama What Maisie Knew. With another pair of starring roles in upcoming blockbusters Battleship and Straw Dogs, we'll be seeing rather more of him in the coming months.

Dominican Republic bows film commission

The Dominican Republic has launched a film commission, tapping Ellis Perez as director general of cinematography.Move is aimed at spurring growth in film and TV production -- a potential $375 million industry with the possibility of providing jobs for some 24,000 local talent and crew.The film commission's efforts will be buttressed by the introduction of a tax credit of up to 25% for feature films and TV skeins shot in the Dominican Republic.While not as generous as Puerto Rico's 40% tax credit, the Dominican Republic will become more competitive once the Pinewood Indomina Studios kicks off operations in early 2012. Studio is a partnership between the U.K.'s Pinewood Studios and U.S.-Dominican Republic-based film and TV company the Indomina Group.Perez is expecting to sign co-production pacts with Canada and France in the near future.His appointment was announced Saturday in Hollywood at the inauguration of the Dominican Republic consular offices with Consul General Celeste Jimenez and Rafael Alburqueque, vice president of the Dominican Republic, in attendance. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Source: Bravo Will Delay Premiere of 'Real Housewives' in Wake of Armstrong Death

The cast and crew of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have been told that the Sept. 5 season premiere will be pushed least one week and possibly longer in the wake of the apparent suicide of Russell Armstrong, the estranged husband of cast member Taylor Armstrong.our editor recommendsBravo Execs Waiting 24 Hours to Decide Fate of 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'Bravo 'Deeply Saddened' by RHOBH Russell Armstrong's DeathIce-T Criticizes 'RHOBH' Russell Armstrong's Suicide, Slams 'Jersey Shore' STORY: 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Husband Commits Suicide A source close to the show tells The Hollywood Reporter that executives from Bravo and producer Evolution Entertainment met with cast members Tuesday in Los Angeles to discuss the fate of the show. Some close to the production are encouraging the network to scrap the season altogether, especially considering some of the Armstrong-related storylines. "People are concerned about being associated with the show and his passing," a source tells THR. But while re-editing of episodes is likely, the source says Bravo does not currently plan to cancel the season entirely. According to the source, the executives did say that the premiere date will be delayed beyond Sept 5. A Bravo spokesperson says that no decision on the premiere has been made. She declines to elaborate further. STORY: 'RHOBH' Taylor Armstrong: Russell's Suicide is 'Tragic' It's unclear how heavily Russell Armstrong was to be featured in season two of the hit reality series. He does not appear in the premiere episode sent to television critics, but Taylor Armstrong is seen agonizing over attending marriage counseling with Russell and is shown shopping for lingerie to help heat up their sex life. Taylor Armstrong confirmed last July that she had filed for divorce. It has become increasingly clear that Russell Armstrong was unhappy with his portrayal on the show. Reports have surfaced that production was briefly suspended earlier this summer after he threatened to sue cast members who disparaged him on camera. Taylor Armstrong said that he verbally and physically abused her, and while reality show contracts generally grant tremendous leeway vis-a-vis defamation, the specter of legal action may have been enough to put a chilling effect on other characters' interaction with Taylor Armstrong. STORY: 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills': Bravo Family Reacts to Russell Armstrong's Death A member of Armstrong's family said they are considering filing a lawsuit against the network. "Bravo is at fault and somebody needs to pay," Russell's step-brother Wade Jackson told the website RadarOnline. "Russell's whole family was very close and they're considering suing Bravo." Meanwhile, Russell Armstrong's own statements about the strain the show put on his marriage are being given new weight now. In an interview in July with People magazine, Taylor Armstrong revealed that her estranged husband was verbally and physically abusive. And Russell Armstrong complained that the show had put additional stress on their marriage. "Did I push her? Yes, maybe things happened in the heat of the moment, but it was during a time in our lives that was not characteristic of who we were," he said. "This show has literally pushed us to the limit." Related Topics

Rep: Jennifer Aniston Not Appearing On Days Of Lives

FIRST PUBLISHED: August 15, 2011 5:35 PM EDTLAST UPDATED: August 15, 2011 7:28 PM EDT LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Jennifer Aniston will not be bewitching Salem any time soon. Despite a report from Britains Sunday Express newspaper, claiming that the actress will be appearing on NBCs Days of Lives which her father has starred on for 24 years Jens rep told Access Hollywood the former Friend wont be heading to daytime. There is no truth at all, Jens rep told Access about the rumor shes set to appear on her fathers long-running NBC daytime series. The report claimed that Jen was being brought on to help jump start ratings for the show. The paper claimed she was slated to play a wedding planner who was going to help her fathers character marry Maggie Horton, played by Suzanne Rogers. Jon, 74, has appeared in almost 1200 episodes during his run on Days, playing Greek mobster Victor Kiriakis. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Strong Storm Collapses Indiana Stage, Killing Four

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A stage collapsed during a powerful storm at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, sending steel scaffolding into the terrified crowd and killing at least four people awaiting a performance by the country band Sugarland. The collapse came moments after an announcer warned of the advancing storm and gave instructions on what to do in event of an evacuation. Witnesses said a wall of dirt, dust and rain blew up quickly like a dust bowl and a burst of high wind toppled the rigging. People ran, screaming and shouting, desperate to get out of the way. Afterward, hundreds of concert-goers rushed amid the chaos to tend to the injured, many trying to lift heavy beams, lights and other equipment that blew onto the crowd. Witnesses said many of the injured were in the VIP section closest to the stage, known as the Sugar Pit. Emergency crews set up a triage center in a tunnel below the grandstand at the Indianapolis fairgrounds. About 40 people were injured,WTHR reported. But Indiana State Police 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten said that number could rise because some people may have taken themselves to hospitals. He also said the injuries ranged from cuts and scrapes to very serious injuries, and it was a very likely possibility that the death toll could mount. At least 18 people were taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital with problems ranging from head injuries and bone fractures to lacerations and other cuts and bruises, hospital spokesman Todd Harper said. He said those injuries were not life-threatening and conditions ranged from fair to critical. One person treated there was a 7-year-old child, he said, but didnt elaborate further. Fair officials canceled all activities Sunday. The fair, which runs through Aug. 21, was expected to resume Monday with a service honoring the victims, Bursten said. The Iowa State Fair announced Sugarland and opening act Sara Bareilles had canceled their Sunday show there. Emergency personnel and fair officials had been monitoring the weather and preparations were being made to evacuate the facility because a severe storm was expected in the area around 9:15 p.m., Bursten said. But the storm hit just before 9 p.m., and a significant gust of wind struck the stage rigging that holds lights and other equipment before the evacuation plan was activated, he said. As we all know, weather can change in a very rapid period of time, he said. Concert-goers said Bareilles had finished performing and the crowd was waiting for Sugarland to take the stage. They said an announcer alerted them that severe weather was possible and gave instructions on what to do if an evacuation was necessary. But the same announcer said concert organizers hoped the show would go on, and many fans stayed put. The wind that toppled the rigging came just minutes after that announcement, fans said. It was like it was in slow motion, concert-goer Amy Weathers told the Indianapolis Star. You couldnt believe it was actually happening. Associated Press photographer Darron Cummings was in the audience shortly before the collapse. He said he and his companions sought shelter in a nearby barn after seeing dark clouds approaching. Then we heard screams. We heard people just come running, Cummings told the AP. When you see dark clouds like that, if theres going to be bad weather, theres going to be mass chaos on leaving. Witnesses told WTHR that dirt, dust, rain and wind came up the main thoroughfare of the fairgrounds just before the collapse. Panic kicked in when they seen the dust bowl coming in from the Midway, concert-goer Darryl Cox told the television station. Another person at the concert, Emily Davis, told the station there was lightning and the sky got dark but it wasnt raining when the wind suddenly toppled the rigging. It was horrible, people were running and going crazy, she said. Jessica Alsman told the AP the towering, metal stage scaffolding kind of wobbled at first. Then pandemonium set in as it fell. As soon as we saw the wind gust, the wind was in our faces, Alsman said. She and three friends grabbed each other and formed a chain. You cant imagine we just thought it was going to rain or something, Alsman said. Sugarland tweeted about the incident about an hour after it happened. We are all right. We are praying for our fans, and the people of Indianapolis. We hope youll join us. They need your strength, the band said. Indianas position in the Midwest has long made it prone to volatile changes in weather. In April 2006, tornado-force winds hit Indianapolis just after thousands of people left a free outdoor concert by John Mellencamp held as part of the NCAA mens Final Four basketball tournament. And in May 2004, a tornado touched down south of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, delaying the start of the Indianapolis 500 and forcing a nearly two-hour interruption in the race. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Early Edition: Justin Lin Exits 'Highlander,' Penguins Get a Helmer, Scott Glenn Gets More Work

Justin Lin is so hot right now, coming off the success of 'Fast Five,' that he's turning down projects. Case in point: The director -- who's lining up another edition of the fast car franchise and possibly a new Terminator movie -- had to take his name off the Summit Entertainment remake of 1986's 'Highlander.' The reason: Summit is anxious to get the ball rolling on a new franchise now that 'Twilight' is fading out, and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Lin's timetable didn't sync up with Summit's desire to move sooner rather than later on the film, which already has a script ready to go. So Summit is out there looking for a new director. Any thoughts? Those pesky 'Madagascar' penguins are back -- with a movie all their own. Back in March, DreamWorks announced that they were going to develop a spin-off for the quartet, hiring Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, the scribes behind 'Megamind,' to write the script focusing on the paramilitary parables of plucky penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Now the studio has announced that Simon Smith, who co-directed DreamWorks' 'Bee Movie,' has been tapped to direct the untitled film. The penguins already have made it to TV, where 'The Penguins of Madagascar' CGI series finished 2010 as the second most-watched animated show on Nickelodeon behind 'SpongeBob SquarePants' among ages 2-11. 'Madagascar 3' is scheduled for a June 8, 2012 release. Scott Glenn is one of those evergreen actors who never wants for work, spreading his screen time between mainstream and indie films and TV. Lately he's graced such big-screen projects as 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' 'W,' 'Secretariat' and 'Sucker Punch,' and now he's joined the cast of Lee Daniels' high-profile drama 'The Paperboy,' starring Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, John Cusack and Nicole Kidman, as well as returning as CIA director Ezra Kramer in Universal's 'The Bourne Legacy.' In 'The Paperboy,' a reporter (McConaughey) returns to his Florida hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate; Glenn will play W.W. James, who runs the local newspaper. Glenn is the latest returning 'Bourne' cast member: Joan Allen and Albert Finney are set to return for the fourth installment in the series, which stars Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac and Stacy Keach. [Variety]

Crime Drama From Shawn Ryan And Simon Mirren Lands Put Pilot Commitment At CBS

In their first development season at Sony Pictures TV, showrunners Shawn Ryan and Simon Mirren have teamed for a crime drama. The untitled project has sold to CBS, where Mirren recently served as co-showrunner on Criminal Minds, with a put pilot commitment. The drama, which Mirren will write, does evoke Criminal Minds as well as Showtime's drama Dexter. It is a procedural about a genetic scientist who uses his newfound discovery that he himself has the psychopath gene to help the FBI catch killers. The show, which Ryan and Mirren are executive producing, is inspired by the true story of UC Irvine Professor James Fallon, a brilliant but genetically flawed scientist who, while helping to unlock the mysteries of the genome code, discovered that he himself was a psychopath linked to a long line of serial killers, including axe murderer Lizzie Borden. The deal extends the trend this development season for the big put pilot commitment to go to A-list producers, including Ryan, Jerry Bruckheimer (the Aron Eli Coleite mom-turned NY State Trouper drama at CBS), Dick Wolf (the Michael Brandt/Derek Haas firefighter drama at NBC) and Greg Berlanti (Marc Guggenheim's legal drama at Fox). Mirren joined Criminal Minds after the pilot, rising to executive producer/co-showrunner before leaving the series last spring to sign an overall deal with Sony. Ryan also has a history with CBS. He cut his teeth as a writer-producer on Nash Bridges and then executive produced and ran the network's military drama The Unit. The Shield creator Ryan, repped by WME and the Shuman Co., moved to Sony in June after more than a decade at Fox. WME-repped Mirren also is executive producing the Cinemax series The Sector.

'Death Of A Salesman' Coming To Broadway With 'Spider-Man's Andrew Garfield In Stellar Cast

EXCLUSIVE: Next spring, there will be two Spider-Mans on Broadway. When Mike Nichols directs Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize-winning play revival of Death of a Salesman, The Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield will be making his Broadway debut. Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman will play the traveling salesman Willy Loman; Linda Emond will play his wife, Linda; and Garfield will play Loman's underachieving son, Biff. Scott Rudin will produce the revival, which will open next March at the Barrymore Theatre. The other stage Spidey, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, you know all about. The original play opened in 1949 with Lee J. Cobb in the role of Loman, and subsequent revivals featured Dustin Hoffman and Brian Dennehy. Hoffman had been expected to take the Loman role, but the surprise is Garfield. He worked with Rudin in the David Fincher-directed The Social Network, before emerging in a wide search with the role of young Peter Parker in the 3D reboot The Amazing Spider-Man, which is being directed by Marc Webb. Garfield started his career in the theater in the UK. His stage credits there include The Laramie Project and Romeo & Juliet. This becomes the latest case in which Rudin has brought in Hollywood talent to create event theater. Those efforts range from the Tony-winning The Book of Mormon with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and the Tony-winning revival of August Wilson's Fences, which starred Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.

Cineplex Q2 Exhibition Earnings Down, Despite Higher Revenue

TORONTO -- Cineplex, Canada's biggest cinema chain, posted lower second quarter earnings, despite higher revenue from screening sequels to popular movie franchises. our editor recommends'Avatar,' 'Alice' help Cineplex post record resultsBooming Canadian b.o. lifts Cineplex Galaxy Toronto-based Cineplex, which operates 130 theatres nationwide with 1,351 screens, saw earnings to June 30 fall to $13.4 million, against a year-earlier $22.2 million, due mainly to a higher income tax charge and other one-time items. Overall revenue rose 6.6 percent to $258.4 million, box office revenue rose 5.2 percent to $151.1 million, concession revenue was up 5.5 percent to $76.2 million, and other revenues, including media advertising and gaming, rose 17 percent to $31 million. The biggest Q2 performers were Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Hangover 2, Fast Five, Thor and Bridesmaids. Cineplex said 3D, UltraAVX and IMAX movies comprised 26.8 percent of box office revenue during the latest quarter, against 25.9 percent in the year-earlier period. The Canadian exhibitor has pacted with rival Empire Theaters and the major Hollywood studios to install digital and 3D technology across its chain by late 2012 to take advantage of ticket price premiums on 3D movies. Related Topics International earnings

Ashton Kutcher Highest-Paid TV Actor; Bieber Reigns Supreme For Teen Earners

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Ashton Kutcher replaced Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men, and now, the 33-year-old actor has taken another title formerly held by Sheen highest-paid TV actor. Kutchers $700,000 per episode salary ranks No. 1 among television stars, according to TV Guides annual Who Earns What issue. Other notable TV star salaries include recent CSI addition Ted Danson at $225,000 per episode, and former 24 star Kiefer Sutherland, who will also earn a $225K paycheck for every episode of his new show, Touch, according to the mag. Former Home Improvement star Tim Allen also makes the list, with a $225K per show salary for his new comedy, Last Man Standing on ABC. Adults arent the only arent the only ones bringing home the bacon. On a different list, spotlighting teen earners, and featured in People magazine, Canadian heartthrob and singer, Justin Bieber, scores the No. 1 spot by bringing in a whopping $53 million last year. The mag dubbed Miley Cyrus the Richest Teen Queen, earning $15 million last year, while The Twilight Sagas Taylor Lautner, 19, took in over $8 million for the franchises final two films making him Peoples Richest Teen Movie Star. As for the richest teen TV star, the title goes to another Two and a Half Men actor 17-year-old star Angus T. Jones, who brought in $7.8 million last year ($300,000 per episode). Check out the full lists of Hollywoods largest salaries when the latest issue of TV Guide hit newsstands on Thursday. Peoples teen list hits newsstands on Friday. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Rebecca Black Taking Her Haters In Stride

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Love her or hate her Rebecca Black is having the time of her life! Access Hollywood caught up with the Friday and My Moment singer on the red carpet of the 2011 Teen Choice Awards, where the teen talked about her whirlwind year. Ive only been here a few minutes and its already been insane, its crazy! an ecstatic Rebecca told Access. Its my first award show she continued. Im still the same person Im kind of living my dream right now. Its really cool. The YouTube sensation, who recently released her second single, My Moment, said shes taking the good with the bad. Everyone has haters, I could donate all of my organs to children in need and I would still have haters, she said of her detractors. Its just something I think that comes with all the attention, so I just have to deal with it. One person firmly on Team Rebecca is Katy Perry, who Rebecca appeared with on Friday at the singers Los Angeles stop of her California Dreams world tour. Rebecca joined Katy onstage for a rendition of Friday. (See their performance HERE!) Thank you so much Rebecca. That was our moment. We love you Rebecca! Katy exclaimed as the young star exited the stage as the crowd cheered. Adding, Damn it, I love the internet! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sony Movie Channel Announces Weeklong Salute to Bollywood (Exclusive)

The Sony Movie Channel is honoring India's vibrant contribution to musical films with "Bollywood Masala," a weeklong event starting Sunday, November 6 with host,The Big Bang Theory's Aarti Mann. "Bollywood is known for its epic stories, beautiful scenery and show stopping musical numbers," says Sony Movie Channel GM, Superna Kalle. "India also has the largest film industry in the world, and we're proud to offer these Bollywood favorites to film lovers on the Sony Movie Channel. Good cinema has universal appeal." The event features several notable films from the past 30 years of Bollywood which showcase the industry's most notable stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Shahrukh Khan and Anil Kapoor. "Bollywood Massala" includes these classic and contemporary titles: Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Tezaab (1988), Dil (1990), Karan Arjun (1995), Kahoo Naa... Pyaar Ha (2000), Parineeta (2005), and more. For more information, visit the Sony Movie Channel website. Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter:@TheRealJethro Sony Pictures Television

Does Oprah Deserve an Oscar?

You get an Oscar! And you get an Oscar! And you get an Oscar... Seems like the Academy is emulating its latest honorary recipient, Oprah Winfrey, in being unbelievably generous. Oscar officials announced yesterday that Winfrey is the winner of this year's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. She'll join fellow honorary Academy Award winners James Earl Jones and movie makeup pioneer Dick Smith to pick up her Oscar at the Academy's annual Governors Awards on Nov. 12. Oprah's humanitarian credentials aren't in doubt. But why would the TV icon get an award ostensibly meant for people known for their contributions to the movie industry? It would be easy to dismiss Winfrey's award as a ploy for ratings -- if they still gave out the honorary awards during the Oscar telecast each February. But for the past couple of years, to streamline the ever-draggy awards ceremony, the honorary trophies have been shunted aside to a separate gala, the Governors Awards, which takes place three months earlier and is not televised. Of course, if the Academy wanted to start televising the Governors Awards, what better year to start than when the Queen of All Media and the Lord of the Sith are recipients? Oprah does seem to have conquered every medium she's tried. She won an Oscar nomination for her acting debut in 1985's 'The Color Purple,' even before she launched the nationally syndicated talk show that became the cornerstone of her fame and her empire. Since then, she's appeared in two other live-action features ('Native Son' and 'Beloved') and done voice roles in three animated movies. She's also produced three feature films ('Beloved,' 'The Great Debaters,' and 'Precious'). So that's eight movies in 26 years -- not chopped liver, but not anything like her prolific work in TV or magazines or other media, all of which she is better known for than her Hollywood work. Of course, Oprah has also done work for the Academy. She's appeared on the Oscar show a few times as a presenter (this year, she handed out the Best Documentary Feature prize to 'Inside Job' filmmakers Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs), and in recent years, she's taken over Barbara Walters' traditional slot on ABC as the host of an annual pre-Oscar celebrity interview special. Maybe this is the Academy's way of thanking Winfrey and ABC for services rendered. Among Oprah's fellow honorary winners, Jones has made nearly 70 movies in 47 years, including an Oscar-nominated turn in 1970's 'The Great White Hope' and roles in such classics as 'Dr. Strangelove,' 'Field of Dreams,' 'The Lion King,' and the first 'Star Wars' trilogy, where his booming voice made Darth Vader one of the most iconic movie characters of all time. Dick Smith, a makeup artist for 50 years, already has an Oscar (for aging F. Murray Abraham in 'Amadeus') and did the makeup on such landmarks as the first two 'Godfathers,' 'Taxi Driver,' and 'The Exorcist.' Both have worked extensively in television as well, but no one would argue that they haven't had Oscar-worthy film careers. Oprah may be a philanthropist second to none, and she remains a dominant and influential figure in TV even after having pulled the plug on her talk show. But she doesn't have a movie career with the depth and breadth of other honorary Academy Awards winners, past and present. When she does, maybe then she'll deserve an honorary Oscar. Does Oprah Winfrey Deserve an Honorary Oscar?YesNoVote Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

'Cowboys & Alien's' Harrison Ford Rips Smurf's Head Off on Conan (Video)

TBS Harrison Ford's Cowboys & Alien's narrowly beat The Smurfs at the weekend box office ($36.4 million vs. $35.6 million) -- no thanks to his 10-year-old son with wife Calista Flockhart, Liam. PHOTOS: Summer Movie Guide "My wife took my son to see The Smurfs," Harrison deadpanned in his trademark gravely voice on TBS' Conan Monday night. "He got into my movie for free, and so she took him to see The Smurfs." When Conan O'Brien asked if he was mad some of his money went to pay for a competitor, Harrison said, "We're going to try to get it back." STORY: How 'Smurfs' Tied 'Cowboys & Aliens' at the Box Office Conan then handed Harrison a Papa Smurf doll, and told him to take out "anger or rage" on it. Harrison ripped its head off as the audience applauded. PHOTOS: Best and Worst Alien Movies Smurfs and Cowboys & Aliens engaged in a neck-to-neck weekend box office race, with Smurfs performing better than expected due to the nostalgia factor of its '80s TV show and a younger-skewing audience. Calista Flockhart Harrison Ford Conan O'Brien The Smurfs Cowboys & Aliens

Summit Buying U.S. For Scott Derrickson-Directed Thriller With Ethan Hawke

EXCLUSIVE: Summit Entertainment has won an auction for U.S. distribution rights to an untitled "found footage" thriller that Scott Derrickson will direct, with Ethan Hawke starring. Jason Blum is producing with Brian Kavanaugh-Jones' Automatik Entertainment and shooting starts in September. I'm told the movie will cost under $5 million, but the success of the Blum-produced micro-budget horror pics Paranormal Activity and Insidious ramped up the bidding on the project. I've heard that Summit's deal entitles it to a 17.5% distribution fee, but Summit is also on the hook for a 5% gross payment to the filmmakers. I'd heard there is a P&A commitment for a wide release, but insiders said the film will have to earn its way to a broad release. It's an aggressive but not crazy deal because the budget on the film is so low and because past Blumhouse low-cost thrillers like Insidious and Paranormal Activity minted money, as did the Derrickson-directed The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Buyers bought it based on the track record of Blum and Derrickson, and they also got to read a script by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill that I've heard is good and unsettling. Hawke plays a journalist who travels with his family around the country to investigate gruesome murders he turns into books. After he moves his family into a house where another family was murdered, the journo discovers found footage that unveils horrifying clues beyond what caused the original tragedy. The movie was shopped by Kavanaugh-Jones of Automatik, the film company hatched by Alliance and IM Global.Charles Layton is exec producer.