'Protocol' retains top spot at Friday B.O.

'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol'Hollywood is taking a New Year's vacation, allowing America to catch up on holiday releases.Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" won again yesterday with $10.7 million. The actioner has cumed $113.6 million domestically, making it the second highest grossing entry in the franchise by its second wide Saturday ("Mission: Impossible II" had earned $121.7 million by this point in 2000, aided by a Wednesday summer release)."Ghost Protocol" should land close to $40 million through Sunday.Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" came in second with 7.7 million, followed by Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" with $7.1 million. At their third weekend in wide release, pics have cumed $117.7 million and $83.5 million, respectively.Next, Sony's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" grossed $5.4 million yesterday. Its current domestic cume is $46.2 million, and studio expects it to cross the $60 million mark through Monday.Other holdovers include Fox's "We Bought a Zoo" and Disney's "War Horse," which took a Friday haul of $4.9 million and $4.7 million, respectively. Finally, Par's "The Adventures of Tintin" grossed $4.4 million yesterday.Though the domestic B.O. is seeing little love in new wide releases, Weinstein Co. bowed "The Iron Lady," Focus Features bowed "Pariah," Sony Pictures Classics bowed "A Separation" and Magnolia bowed "Angels Crest" all in limited release yesterday. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Kendall & Kylie Jenner Get Youthful young puppies For Christmas

First Launched: December 26, 2011 8:45 PM EST Credit: Kim Kardashian/Twitpic La, Calif. -- Caption Louis and Vuitton Kendall and Kylie Jenners new chocolate lab youthful young puppies are observed over sleeping an image released by Kim Kardashian on December 26, 2011The Kardashian-Jenner folks are growing once again. The reality TV broods youngest people, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, got one more special Christmas gift from mother Kris and father Bruce this year chocolate Labrador Retriever youthful young puppies! OMG OMG OMG!!!! Best Christmas present ever!!!!!!! 2 beautiful youthful young puppies!!!!! Kendall, 16, Tweeted on Saturday, along with a picture in the sleeping canines. Ahhhh thanks mom and dad!!!! Large sister Kim Kardashian also needed to Twitter to show the newest people in the Kardashian clan, but revealed the ladies have deviated within the familys tradition of choosing names that begin with K, selecting rather to cover homage with a legendary luggage/handbag designer. Kendall & Kylie got 2 chocolate lab youthful young puppies for ChristmasA boy & a lady! Have a look at little Louis & Vuitton sleeping shhh, Kim Tweeted on Monday. Khloe Kardashian-Odom missed the familys holiday festivities this year as she continued to be in Texas to cheer on husband Lamar courtside at his new gig while using Dallas Mavericks, but shared her excitement inside the youthful young puppies. Wow!!!! I like them!!!! I'd like one! LOL, she Tweeted on Christmas Eve, along with a picture in the young puppies. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Live! With Kelly Announces New Fill-In Co-Hosts

Jim Parsons Kelly Ripa will kick off the new year on Live! alongside fill-in co-host - and husband - Mark Consuelos on Monday, Jan. 2, but he won't be sticking around for long.8 possible contenders to replace Regis Philbin on Live!The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons will take over on Jan. 3, making his first co-hosting appearance on the show. On Jan. 4, David Duchovny will fill the seat, followed by Rob Lowe on Jan. 5-6, as Regis Philbin's permanent replacement has yet to be named.

Producers Guild to Honor Angelina Jolie's 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' With Stanley Kramer Award

Screen Gems has picked up rights to a creepy student-made short entitled Viral with the plan of spinning it into a feature.our editor recommendsScreen Gems Closes Deal to Remake Toronto Sensation 'The Raid''Iron Man 3' Leaving Los Angeles for North Carolina's EUE/Screen Gems Studios The pickup is a coup for Tim Shechmeister, a recent UCLA film school grad who directed the short and co-wrote it with his brother, Matt, as part of a thesis project. The Shechmeisters will co-write the feature and Tim would direct the big-screen version. The roughly 11-minute short is set in the world of cyberbullying and eventually includes supernatural elements. In fact, the story could be described as being reminiscent of The Grudge or The Ring, but primed for the current generation that uses smart phones and Facebook as extensions of themselves. The Grudge reference is apt because that movie's writer, Stephen Susco, discovered the short at a screenwriting event this past summer. Tim Shechmeister, who is also a fan of Japanese horror (AKA J-Horror), gave Susco his business card with a link to the short, which the scribe checked out and loved. "I see a lot of student films and like to see what's going on," says Susco. "I rarely see something as polished as this one." Susco brought it to Grudge producer Roy Lee who, along with Lawrence Grey, took it to Screen Gems. The trio will now produce.John Middleton will exec produce. "It strikes at the modern social media anxiety that really hits a hot nerve in this country," says Susco. "How young people communicate is changing and technology is altering the tenor of that communication-in many cases for the worse. And this is an opportunity to do something scary and really potent at the same time." Tim and Matt Shechmeister are repped by UTA. Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com Twitter: Borys_Kit

Hammond: Supporting Actress Oscar Hopefuls Might Wish For Absence Of Help

Could one movie dominate this years best supporting actress Oscar lineup? Certainly an argument could be made for any number of actresses in the ensemble hit, The Help and in fact two of them were nominated for Critics Choice Movie Awards today. But it is more likely Oscar voters will want to spread the wealth rather than repeat what they did for 1963s Tom Jones, when three ladies won the lions share of nominations in the category. The competition among supporting thesps is just too strong this year to go in that direction. Here is a look at the way this highly competitive category is shaping up. FRONTRUNNERS: OCTAVIA SPENCER, THE HELP As Minny Jackson, a civil rights-era maid, Spencer made a very memorable pie and got the bulk of the laughs among a large ensemble. She is a sure thing nominee, not only for her comic ability but her dramatic scenes too, making her a formidable contender and crowd favorite. BRNICE BEJO, THE ARTIST Taking on the challenge not only of playing the lead female role in a black and white silent film, Bejo also had to learn to tap dance and sing in addition to being a believable budding superstar of the silver screen. In other words she does it all except talk. But its more than enough. SHAILENE WOODLEY, THE DESCENDANTS Breaking out of the cable TV teen comedy ghetto, Woodley showed she is the real deal, delivering a layered, complex and three-dimensional performance of a teenage girl who suddenly faces bigresponsibilities. Creating a believable father/daughter relationship opposite George Clooney, Woodley emerged as the one to watch from her generation. VANESSA REDGRAVE, CORIOLANUS As an ambitious and politically shrewd military woman and mother, the inimitable Redgrave had her finest hour on screen in years, particularly in one killer monologue that remains perhaps the finest piece of acting in any 2011 movie. A controversial Oscar winner for 1977s Julia, her performance here is certain to net her a remarkable 7th career nomination. SANDRA BULLOCK, EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE For her first role since winning the best actress Oscar two years ago for The Blind Side, Bullock took on a smaller but very meaningful role as the mother of a boy searching for answers after his father is killed on 9/11. Highly emotional and nicely underplayed, Bullock gets another shot at the brass ring and should have the audience in tears once again. JESSICA CHASTAIN, THE HELP or THE TREE OF LIFE or TAKE SHELTER or Where to start with Chastain, who it seems was in every other movie released in 2011? She was superb in all, so runs the risk of cancelling herself out completely. The NY Film Critics gave her their supporting actress award for a trio of films (and they didnt even mention The Debt), but the Academy doesnt have that luxury. Her best bet will probably be the role most widely seen, as Celia Foote in The Help but it may be hard to separate her from a group of very talented co-stars. JUDI DENCH, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Multiple Oscar nominee Dench actually won for an eight minute role in 1998s Shakespeare in Love and her role her as the great actress Dame Sybil Thorndike is not much bigger, but just as memorable. After all, there is nothing like a Dame playing a Dame. Her role as Hoovers mother in J. Edgar also gives her added exposure. MELISSA MCCARTHY, BRIDESMAIDS Broad comedic performances like McCarthys in this female raunch comedy rarely get serious Oscar recognition but the Emmy-winning star of Mike and Molly so thoroughly and shamelessly stole every single scene she was in that there is lots of buzz percolating, and Universals main hope of sneaking into this years race. JANET McTEER, ALBERT NOBBS This movie is supposed to belong to Glenn Close but her co-star Janet McTeer dominates every scene shes in and nabbed an Indie Spirit nomination for her efforts. Unless you know in advance shes even in the film you wont recognize her and actors love roles where a performer completely disappears into the character. CONSIDERTHE POSSIBILITIES: JUDY GREER, THE DESCENDANTS Another small but great supporting turn from this veteran actress who has never really gotten the recognition she deserves. Actors know her though and they are doing the voting. Her funny, touching portrayal of a betrayed wife who tries to make amends for her husbands indiscretions is unforgettable.A hospital room confrontation with star George Clooney is priceless. MARION COTILLARD, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS This Oscar winner is a delight under the direction of Woody Allen and we all know Woody has a knack for landing his supporting stars Oscarnods so dont discount her chances. ANJELICA HUSTON, 50/50 As the doting, concerned mother of a cancer victim, Huston is pitch perfect, another fine outing from an actress who has grown into one of our finest. She won an Oscar for 1985s Prizzis Honor and could find herself in contention yet again if enough people pop in the DVD screener. CAREY MULLIGAN, SHAME After charming audiences and winning a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination in An Education, Mulligan changes pace, and hair color, completely to tackle this raw, naked NC-17 role and she nails it again even getting to sing NY NY. Is there anything she cant do? EVAN RACHEL WOOD, THE IDES OF MARCH This is the kind of tortured role young actresses kill for and Wood delivers on all cylinders. For whatever reason, there hasnt been a whole lot of awards buzz around it but actors will recognize a total pro performance and she could be a sleeper. JODIE FOSTER, KATE WINSLET, CARNAGE Like their male counterparts, Oscar winners Foster and Winslet may split the difference in this screen adaptation of the Broadway farce, God of Carnage. It is a Solomons choice between the two so take your pick. BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD, THE HELP We started with The Help and we will end with it. But Howard deserves recognition, some kind of recognition for believably playing two very unlikeable women and making us still care what happens to them. She made the most of her few scenes in 50/50 but she dominated them as a spoiled southern belle in The Help. She may be overshadowed by a couple of her co-stars but consideration should be paid.

Another Weak Weekend: New Years Eve #1 But Underperforming Same Goes With The Sitter #2

SATURDAYAM: I appear as being a broken record because it’s anotherdisappointing domestic box office. And thesecond weekend back to back where the overall movie total won’t make greater than $80M for possibly 2011′s least expensive haul. It’s also lower 8% from a year ago.Maintain surprises away inside the Top since Warner Bros’ New Years Eve was prone to unseat Summit’s Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning Part 1 which spent three straight days at No. 1. But what's alarming is the latest in thisholiday-designed franchise is coming way underneath the $20M the studio predicted. Year’s Eve been not successful round the late shows last evening and flattened out substantially.”Not much champagne for the opening,” one rival professional snarked in my opinion. Particularly with all of people title stars and stars cast inside the season’s only romantic comedy. Showing once again this year stars and derivative storytellingdon’t attract moviegoers at this time around. Audiences gave it a ‘B+’ CinemaScore. Fox’s The Sitter showed up second and extremely did some business late as well as in the civilized world and so the amounts came back just a little.Butit’s worse compared to decreased anticipation beginning this U . s . States weekend.Audiences gave it basically a ‘C+’ CinemaScore. Positive factor this Jonah Hill pic cost alongside nothing.Deadline Hollywood will probably be holding its movie honours season ‘The Competitors’ event this Saturday or sunday: 1. New Years Eve (Warner Bros) NEW [3,505 Theaters] Friday $5M, Thought Weekend$14.5M 2. The Sitter (Fox) NEW [2,750 Theaters] Friday $3.7M, Thought Weekend $10M 3.Breaking Beginning Part 1 (Summit) Week 4 [3,605 Theaters] Friday $2.4M, Thought Weekend $7.7M, Thought Cume $259.3M 4. The Muppets (Disney) Week 3 [3,328 Theaters] Friday $1.6M, Thought Weekend $7M, Thought Cume $65.7M 5. Hugo (Vital) Week 3 [2,608 Theaters] Friday $1.5M, Thought Weekend $6M, Thought Cume $33.3M 6.Arthur Christmas (The brand new the new sony) Week 3 [3,272 Theaters] Friday $1.4M, Thought Weekend $6.5M, Thought Cume $33.4M 7. The Descendants (Fox Searchlight) Week 4 [876 Theaters] Friday $1.3M, Thought Weekend $4.3M, Thought Cume $23.5M 8. Jack and Jill (The brand new the new sony) Week 5 [2,787 Theaters] Friday $870K, Thought Weekend $3M, Thought Cume $68.4M 8. Happy Foot Two (Warner Bros) Week 4 [2,840 Theaters] Friday $840K, Thought Weekend $4M, Thought Cume $57.1M 10. Tower Heist (Universal) Week 6 [2,069 Theaters] Friday $734K, Thought Weekend $2.3M, Thought Cume $74.1m Niche Openings: Vital gets the Adventures Of Tintin for domestic, and also the new the new sony for overseas. The Steven Spielberg/Healing For Healing For Peter Jackson collaboration gets a great come from The U . s . States’s Quebec following an effective European run.(Tintin Passes $200M Worldwide Will U.S. Audiences Board The Bandwagon?) AnotherEuropean hit, Focus Features’Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, begins its U . s . States run which is searching inside a Friday gross of $90K getting a sizable per screen average of $22,671 in its4 runs (2 in New you are able to city, 2 in LA). Thought weekend gross is $313K.Focus mentioned Mess Tailor “really sprang” – selling out invirtually all theaters within the late matinee shows to the prime several hours through 9 PM.Its thought weekend opening can make it the following finest ranking filmopening on 4 screens on record. Vital’s Youthful Adult is at 8 theaters based on per screen earnings:Friday $89K, Per Screen Average $11,208. Youthful Adult at first looked soft but acquired. Paramountpoints out that itout-made the expansions of both Artist and Shame on half the screens. Mess, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Focus Features) NEW [4 Theaters] Friday$90K,Thought Weekend $313K, Per Screen Average $22,671 Youthful Adult (Vital) NEW [8 Theaters] Friday $89K, Thought Weekend $314M, Per Screen$11,208 The Adventures Of Tintin (Vital)NEW [70 Theaters] Friday $366K,Thought Weekend $1.3M, Per Screen $19,869, Cume $1.4M Ladies Versus Ough Bahl (Yash Raj Films) NEW [80 Theaters] Friday $65K, Thought Weekend $215K, Per Screen $815 I Melt Together With You (Magnolia) NEW [2 Theaters] Friday $1K, Thought Weekend $3K, Per Screen $389 Shame (Fox Searchlight) Week 2 [21 Theaters] Friday $83K (-24%),Thought Weekend $277K, Per Screen$3,993, Thought Cume $775K My Week With Marilyn (The Weinstein Co) Week 3 [244 Theaters] Friday $215K,Thought Weekend $747K, Per Screen$3,062, Thought Cume $5.1M The Artist (The Weinstein Co) Week 3 [16 Theaters] Friday $77K,EstimatedWeekend $280K, Per Screen$4,817, Thought Cume $873K A Dangerous Method (The brand new the new sony Classics) Week3 [4 Theaters) Friday $20K, Thought Weekend $122K, Per Screen $5,141, Thought Cume $480K Melancholia (Magnolia) Week5 [135 Theaters] Friday $64K, Thought Weekend $238K, Per Screen $474, Thought Cume $1.8M Constantly (Vital Vantage) Week 7 [162 Theaters] Friday $53K,Thought Weekend $251K, Per Screen $327, Thought Cume $3M

'The Artist' Stars to get the Santa Barbara Film Festival's Cinema Vanguard Award

"The Artist"stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo will get the Cinema Vanguard Award in the 27th Santa Barbara Worldwide Film Festival.The award recognizes stars who've forge their very own individual pathways, "taking artistic risks and creating a significant and different contribution to film.""At a time of sight and seem spectacle, there's potential risk inside a quiet film," SBIFF executive director Roger Durling stated. "Jean and Berenice's acting is definitely an amazing pas des deux both physically and psychologically -- remembering classic Hollywood combinations like Hepburn and Tracy not to mention, indelibly, Ginger root and Fred."The award will be provided in the Arlington Theatre on February. 4. The festival itself runs from Jan. 26-February. 5. The Hollywood Reporter

Dodgers Win Approval For Early TV Rights Investing in an offer Bloomberg Reviews Fox To Appeal

The La Dodgersreceived personal personal bankruptcy court permission Thursday to sell future TV rights towards the baseball games several days before their existing contract with Fox Sports allows, Bloomberg reported. The federal government personal personal bankruptcy judge in Delaware overruled Fox’s objection for the team entering early discussions with Fox rivals. Fox Sports has broadcasting rights using the 2013 season but was fighting to retain exclusive investing in an offer rights under that contract until November. 30, 2012. That contract may have precluded almost every other bidders right before that date nevertheless the judge’s decision Thursday removed that exclusivity.The judge gave Fox 45 days exclusivity get to a completely new agreement while using Dodgers. The countdown for the window started November 30. If no deal is showed up at, Time Warner Cable is wanting enter into towards the fray. It already won the rights to broadcast La Opponents games around the new regional sports network which will replace previous rights holder Fox Sports. Competition for sports programming is driving up prices for rights and enabling early investing in an offer round the Dodgers will most likely increase the requirement for they inside the approaching purchase. The Dodgers declared personal personal bankruptcy in June with the notion that comes from purchasing media rights would be familiar with pay creditors. Current team owner Frank McCourt designed to retain possession but Major league baseball made the decision to some purchase to get rid of McCourt, whose stewardship remains under optimal. Fox appeals the ruling. Meantime, the Dodgers and Fox will endeavour to find out whether discussions for just about any new TV contract can begin immediately or must wait pending the network’s advantage of Thursday’s ruling. No matter the end result, any acquisition of TV rights demands the approval in the personal personal bankruptcy judge, Mlb as well as the winning bidder for your team.

Sienna Miller to Star as Tippi Hedren in BBC2 Movie About The Birds

This is far too intriguing not to think about for hours: The BBC2 just announced a project called The Girl, starring Sienna Miller as model-turned-actress Tippi Hedren and Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock, who obsessed over Hedren as they filmed the The Birds in northern California’s Bodega Bay. The extreme relationship between Hitch and Hedren, which included some violent bird-throwing sessions during one climactic scene, is well-documented and ready for re-inspection (as is any film starring the dashing Rod Taylor). But is this the most fascinating Hitchcock story to examine? We offer one other possible Hitchcock era that might be intriguing to revisit. But first, good news about The Girl: Looooongtime Hitchcock biographer Donald Spoto is signed on as a consultant, and Tippi Hedren has agreed to do interviews with screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes for the project. It appears this project has the potential to be — at the very least — accurate. And yet, The Birds would’ve been my second choice for a BBC chronicle. I’m partial to the endless disagreements behind Rebecca, Hitch’s 1940 Best Picture winner that marked his debut in America and a stormy partnership with David O. Selznick. Plus, maybe Judith Anderson can linger in the backdrop and cast frightening glances upon everything. Anyway, here’s Tippi Hedren’s amazing screen test for The Birds. Strut, turn, and pose, Melanie Daniels. Sienna Miller Is Tippi Hedren, Toby Jones Is Hitchcock In BBC2 Drama About ‘The Birds’ [Deadline]

Judge Enables Sheens Ex-Wife To Come Back Home

First Released: December 6, 2011 12:12 PM EST Credit: WireImage Caption Charlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller as well as their kids Lola and Mike at the skill of Elysium Benefit on August 25, 2007ASPEN, Colo. -- A Colorado judge will let actor Charlie Sheens ex-wife, Brooke Mueller, revisit California following her arrest in Aspen on assault and drug charges. A Pitkin County judge on Monday approved a request by Muellers attorney to permit Mueller to return home so she will take care of her children. Based on the Aspen Daily News, officials arrested Mueller Saturday in a nightclub following a lady reported being assault by Mueller. Government bodies launched Mueller after she published $11,000 bond. She's due in court 12 ,. 19. Sheen and Mueller divorced captured, stating Christmas Day 2009 because the day's their breakup. Sheen was arrested in Aspen on that day on suspicion of attacking Mueller. He completed his probation for the reason that situation last November. Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.