NBC's 'Smash' up despite 'Voice' decline

Auto racing's Daytona 500, postponed about 36 hours due to bad weather, moved to primetime Monday and enabled Fox to score a rare victory on the night. Net finished a bit ahead of NBC, whose "Smash" edged up in its fourth week despite modest declines for lead-in The Voice."According to preliminary national estimates from Nielsen, "The Voice" averaged a 5.4 rating/13 share in adults 18-49 and 13.9 million viewers overall, down in the neighborhood of 8%-10% week to week but still easily the night's No. 1 series -- and up about 20% vs. the comparable fourth episode of its rookie season a year ago. It was followed by "Smash" (2.4/6 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall), which was up a tick week to week -- and up three-tenths in the 10:30 p.m. half-hour -- to finish in a virtual demo tie with CBS' "Hawaii Five-0."Fox's ratings for NASCAR's Daytona 500 race are subject to revision as the preliminaries do not accurately reflect live viewing in all time zones. But in the early numbers released by Nielsen, the rain-delayed race averaged a 4.5/11 in adults 18-49 and 13.9 million viewers overall on the net's affiliates from 8 to 11. Fox, which has been finishing fourth on the night in recent weeks, is expected to win the night. The Daytona 500 took a toll on most of CBS' lineup. Though "How I Met Your Mother" (3.6/10 in 18-49, 9.1 million viewers overall) and "2 Broke Girls" (3.7/9 in 18-49, 10.1 million viewers overall) held up OK, "Two and a Half Men" (3.6/9 in 18-49, 11.8 million viewers overall), "Mike & Molly" (2.9/7 in 18-49, 10.1 million viewers overall) and "Hawaii Five-0" (2.5/6 in 18-49, 9.4 million viewers overall) were all down by about 15% week to week.ABC edged up with its combo of "The Bachelor" (2.6/6 in 18-49, 8.0 million viewers overall) and "Castle" (2.2/5 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall), with the latter hitting a five-week high. And at CW, struggling leadoff drama "Gossip Girl" (0.5/1 in 18-49, 1.2 million viewers overall) was up in the net's target demo of adults 18-34 (0.7/2). And at 9, "Hart of Dixie," likely affected by the NASCAR race on Fox, edged down (0.5/1 in 18-49, 1.4 million viewers overall).Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 4.5/11; NBC, 4.4/11; CBS, 3.1/8; ABC, 2.4/6; Univision, 1.5/4; CW, 0.5/1.In total viewers: Fox, 13.9 million; NBC, 12.1 million; CBS, 10.0 million; ABC, 8.3 million; Univision, 3.7 million; CW, 1.4 million. Contact Rick Kissell at rick.kissell@variety.com

CAA Signs Andy Serkis

EXCLUSIVE: Andy Serkis has signed with CAA. The organization will repetition him becoming an actor, author and director, in addition to repetition The Imaginarium, the London-based performance capture studio for Serkis produced with producer Jonathan Cavendish. Serkis is marketing a best career since he arrived el born area and carried out Gollum inside the Master in the Ring film series. After re-joining with Healing For Healing For Peter Jackson to see the title character in King Kong, Serkis then introduced the ape Caesar to existence in Rise in the Planet in the Apes. He’ll return for your follow-up, together with the Hobbit. Serkis also directed second unit round the LOTR prequel. More youthful crowd carried out Captain Haddock in Tintin. Serkis it's still handled by Principal Entertainment’s Ray Taube, and Lou Coulson Connected inside the Uk.

Trophy town

Trina Schulman and Gwyneth Paltrow at WIF party Michael Angarano and Juno Temple at Weinstein partyMatthew Lillard and Shailene Woodley at Spirit AwardsLucy Liu and Anne HecheSeth Rogen and Jonah Hill hit the beach for that Spirit Honours. Fiona Shaw, Jeremy Search, Kenneth Branagh, Victoria Beckham, Gary Oldman and Consul-General Barbara Hay meet in Hancock Park to toast an excellent year for Britons in the movies. Honorees John Logan and Michelle Williams celebrate the Irish in film with host J.J. Abrams in the Oscar Wilde Honours. The trophy-giving over the past weekend began early, on Thursday evening at Bad Robot in Santa Monica, in which the Oscar Wilde Honours honored John Logan, Melissa McCarthy and Michelle Williams.J.J. Abrams located the big event devoted towards the Irish in film, which brought him to exclaim, " 'The Artist' gets nothing tonight."Logan introduced Williams, although he initially hesitated due to her Scandinavian roots. "Her everyone was actually the Viking hordes that found Belfast and pillaged," he joked.On Friday, Trina Schulman and Gwyneth Paltrow located the ladies in Film cocktail soiree at Ceconni's, where Oscar-nommed stars Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer received jeweled broaches along with other treats."It is a great recognition to co-host the wedding,Inch stated Paltrow. "We have to fit everything in we are able to to improve the quantity of women in film...because we're wiser than males and than males."Anywhere, the Britons put a cocktail pour in the consul general's residence in Hancock Park. Culture and Media Secretary Jeremy Search told Oscar nominees Jesse McTeer, Gary Oldman, Kenneth Branagh yet others, "We are incredibly proud to the fact that the U.S. galleries spent $1.5 billion making films within the U.K. this past year. We are incredibly proud to the fact that the 3 greatest U.S. superheroes -- Superman, Batman and Spider-Guy -- are Britons. And that is minimal that you can do after we have permitted a united states to experience Margaret Thatcher."Later that evening, the attention on Black Salute in the Park Plaza Hotel honored Martin Lawrence and Darlene Allen, amongst others.The comedian recognized his prize from Luke Wilson and Tim Allen, who joked, "It's like finding yourself in Cirque du Soleil if you use Martin."Also it appeared such as the circus is at town as Darlene Allen attempted to simply accept her award from Nia Lengthy and Kimberly Elise as the video screen stored bleeping out and in, stifling her. "C'mon now, just contain the video," Allen yelled. "It does not work!"The greatest pre-Academy awards honours confab, obviously, came Saturday mid-day. Seth Rogen began the Independent Spirit Honours around the Santa Monica beach with an irreverent note, telling everyone else that there are nothing to become produced by winning one of these simple trophies."It will not even lift up your cost, since it proves that you will work with nothing," stated Rogen, who later cautioned, "Please, keep the acceptance speeches short since the tent has attend a bar mitzvah at 5."Saturday evening, the Weinstein Co. put a pre-Oscar party at Soho House in WeHo. If Harvey and Bob Weinstein were nervous about Sunday night's outcome, they actually did not show it.Tony Bennett briefly tickled the ivories once the siblings presented their mother, Miriam, who lately celebrated mothering sunday.Later on at night, Harvey huddled track of Leonardo DiCaprio, who puffed with an electronic cigarette.(Shalini Dore, Erin Maxwell, Dork McNary and Shaun Sneider led for this report.) Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Disney Taps Edgar Wright To Helm The Actor-brad Pitt Within The Evening Stalker Feature Redo

EXCLUSIVE: Disney is setting Edgar Wright to direct The Evening Stalker, the remake from the ABC telepic and series the studio is developing like a potential star vehicle for The Actor-brad Pitt to experience smart tabloid reporter Carl Kolchak. Depp and the Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski will produce. Wright, most widely known for pointing Rob from the Dead and Scott Pilgrim Versus. The Planet, comes aboard prior to the studio has set a author, and that he will oversee and shape the project with Depp and Dembrowski in the first floor. As Deadline revealed, the film required root in the studio last summer time, borne from Depp and Dembrowski’s fond reminiscences from the original 70s movie and series that starred Darren McGavin. He covered crime for any tabloid and the cases always brought to supernatural perpetrators that incorporated zombies, vampires of the underworld, werewolves and aliens. Obviously, neither his editor nor other people would believe him or permit him to run what appeared like crazy tales. But Kolchak would put themself in grave danger each episode. David Kennedy is going to be professional producer from the film. The topic matter is going to be customized to suit Disney’s family film mandate and likely a PG-13 rating, but the thought of Wright’s hyper-reality style and Depp’s gift for creating cool figures seems like a great match in my experience. Wright can also be mounted on direct Ant-Guy for Marvel Galleries and Disney. The Evening Stalker was 1 of 2 films that Depp and Dembrowski set in the studio. Another would be a drama concerning the Night time Ride produced by Paul Revere to warn Colonial militia from the impending British invasion that made him a seminal estimate the American Revolutionary War. Jon Brown and Infinitum Nihils Margaret French-Isaac is going to be executive producers. Depp next saddles up for Disney with Armie Hammer within the Gore Verbinski-directed The Lone Ranger. Wright’s repped by CAA and United kingdom-based Independent Talent.

Degrassi Actor Neil Hope Revealed to Have Died in 2007

Grant Wilson Ghost Hunters' longtime co-lead investigator Grant Wilson is leaving the Syfy series this May, he announced on Wednesday's episode. "While paranormal investigating has always been and will remain a passion for me, after enjoying nearly eight successful seasons on television, I have made the decision to leave the series in order to focus on other aspects of my personal life. I will deeply miss working with Jason and the rest of the dedicated investigators and crew that have become like family, and I wish them all the best as they continue to follow their passion and realize the vision of [The Atlantic Paranormal Society]," Wilson said in a statement. "I will also miss interacting with our wonderful fans worldwide. You are all at the heart of what we do on Ghost Hunters, and I'm grateful to have gotten to know many of you over the years." Check out photos from Ghost Hunters Wilson's announcement on Wednesday's episode delivered 2.2 million viewers - the show's biggest audience in 15 months, according to Entertainment Weekly. Wilson will appear in six more episodes beginning in April, culminating with his final appearance on Wednesday, May 16 at 9/8c. Ghost Hunters International will take over the time slot for seven weeks beginning on Feb. 22. "When Grant and I founded TAPS nearly 20 years ago, we never imagined that we would be able to make such an impact just by doing what we enjoy every day. I will miss working with Grant on a daily basis, and am indebted to the level of dedication and expertise he has brought to our field," co-lead investigator Jason Hawes said in a statement. "I can't imagine having a better partner through it all - both on the show and off. Grant and I, along with our spouses and children, are all like one big family. While I fully support his decision to move on from the series, this longtime friendship -- as well as our business partnership -- will continue off-camera for years to come." Are you sad Wilson is leaving? Who do you want to replace him?

Whitened Collar's Matt Bomer Arrives

Matt Bomer Whitened Collar's Matt Bomer arrived on the scene over the past weekend as he publically thanked his partner, publicist Simon Halls, and the three children throughout an acceptance speech. Bomer, 34, arrived on the scene Saturday in the Steve Chase Humanitarian Honours, where he was honored using the New Generation Arts and Activism Award for his operate in fighting against Aids/Helps. "I'd really especially prefer to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Package, Master, Henry," he stated throughout his speech. "Appreciate teaching me what unconditional love is. You'll always be my proudest accomplishment." Matt Bomer and Darren Criss to sing Duran Duran on Glee Halls is really a Hollywood publicist with Slate PR. Among his customers are Glee's Ryan Murphy and just how I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris. Inside a 2010 interview with Particulars magazine, Bomer rejected to discuss his sexuality. "I do not worry about that whatsoever," he stated. "I am thrilled and satisfied during my personal existence." Bomer, who stars on USA's Whitened Collar, will quickly guest-star within an episode of Glee as Blaine's older brother Cooper Anderson. Take a look at his acceptance speech below:

Fox 2000 will get 'Reboot'

Fox 2000 has made the decision to "Reboot," nipping up feature privileges to Amy Tintera's yet-to-be-released novel and setting the fuuturistic project with Peter Chernin and Huge Entertainment Boss Lane Shefter Bishop.Privileges deal closed Friday.Pic is going to be developed like a suspenseful action-thriller occur a advanced world in which the human population is stricken with a deadly virus, and teens are "restarted" after dying being vicious soldiers. An unlikely pair use their new found forces to become listed on forces and overthrow the business which has corrupted their world.Privileges towards the novel just offered to Harper Collins and will also be the very first inside a series by Tintera.Fox-based Chernin created "Rise from the Planet from the Apes" in addition to TV series "Terra Nova" and "Breakout Nobleman." Huge Entertainment is creating the movies "The DUFF" with Micrograms and the Wonderland Seem & Vision for CBS Films, and "Hemlock" with Akiva Goldsman and the Weed Road Pictures. Huge can also be creating the television series "Call Me Crazy" with Scott Stuber for NBC, and "The Investigator" with Jonathan Prince at Fox, according to Anne Perry's books.Bishop is repped by Paradigm. Tintera is repped by Emmanuelle Morgen of Stonesong. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Jim Sheridan Headed Into The West

A brand new, American undertake the storyplot...Should you be Jim Sheridan, as well as your recent motion picture output incorporated the critcally-mauled likes of Get Wealthy Or Die Tryin' and Dream House (along with the far better received Siblings), we wouldn't blame you for wistfully attempting to re-go to a better amount of time in your job. But digging up a movie you authored in the the nineteen nineties appears as an odd idea. Still, Sheridan's going for this, creating a new undertake In To The West.The initial, which Mike Newell introduced to movie theaters in 1992, saw the kind of Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin and Brendan Gleeson within the tale of two youthful boys who escape the grit and muck of the Dublin council estate by venturing out with an adventure to recuperate he mystical equine stolen using their pop (Byrne), once referred to as King From The Vacationers. At that time, we stated, "its heady mixture of Irish myth and gritty realism will very easily capture the creativeness of any age."Now, it might appear Sheridan is searching to direct that one themself, to re-capture individuals creativeness, and to own story much more of an opportunity to be viewed across water-feature. There is no word yet on which changes he may make, and whether it'll tell exactly the same story or consume a new, related yarn. What's known at this time is the fact that he's nabbed 50,000 in development money in the Irish Film Board.Sheridan continues to be developing several projects, including Black Mass about lately-taken Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger along with a drama known as Sheriff Street.