Watch Charlize Theron Become Enraged in Young Adult Red Band Spot

Charlize Theron said recently that she took a four-year break from acting to work with her production company, so it’s interesting to consider what about Young Adult (besides the Oscar-friendly duo of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody) would drag her back into the craft. Here’s an idea: She gets to be profane, uncompromising, and really, really pissed off. In this red-band spot for the new film (out December 9), Theron loses her shit with Elizabeth Reaser, who plays her ex-beau’s (Patrick Wilson) new wife. Yikes. She’s quite not Mommie Dearest livid, but Theron’s character Mavis is a snide, warped version of Faye Dunaway’s famous nutjob here — not to mention entitled, condescending, and superficial. Young Adult could really be called “The Modern Asshole Lady.” Tthankfully it’s not, so that title can now go to the awesome new Conde Nast publication I’m planning. On this month’s cover: The Millionaire Matchmaker’s Patti Stanger and the 101 Best Aristocratic Grimaces of 2011! Hot Trailer: Red Band Spot for ‘Young Adult’

Finland steams up box office

HELSINKI -- Overlooked in the past couple of years as Swedish and Danish crime thrillers have been storming the world's book stores and screens, Finnish film may be poised for its own international breakthrough.Out is the dour, taciturn image of yesterday -- saunas, suicide and mosquito slapping contests washed down with gallons of vodka. In are characters that aim to make women swoon even as they play to men with a mix of humor and darkly cynical genre tropes.An example is "Vares Private Eye," which features well-known Scandi character actor Antti Reini as Jussi Vares, a tough guy with a weakness for beer and women.Based on a series of bestselling Finnish detective stories by Reijo Maki, Helsinki-based Solar Films' slate of six 90-minute feature films is off to a flying start on home turf. The first three films, all released this year, occupy three of the top four spots at the Finnish box office, with "Vares -- pahan suudelma," directed by Anders Engstrom, taking in more than 200,000 admissions.The final three Vares films, all shot in 2010 in about 120 days for approximately 5.5 million ($7.6 million) are on tap for 2012, with one directed by Engstrom, and the other two by Lauri Torhonen. Depending on the local appetite for the pics, another six to 12 are on tap from Solar for 2013.But crime isn't the only genre on the Finnish horizon. Nazis-on-the-moon sci-fi spoof "Iron Sky" is set to hit screens in April, with an online fan base that ponied up nearly a tenth of the film's $10 million budget, as well as a board game and a series of comicbook prequels helping to stoke buzz.Meanwhile, Ilkka Matila of Matila Rohr Prods. -- whose resume spans European and Russian co-productions including Fedor Bondarchuk's Afghan war drama "9th Company" -- also has a couple of Nordic films on his slate: "Priest of Evil," based on Matti Yrjana Joensuu's series of police thrillers; and "Body of Water," a thriller that revolves around a terrifying secret. The "Priest of Evil" book has been translated into more than eight languages worldwide including English, while "Body of Water" was featured during the Finnish Film Gala Night at Helsinki's Love & Anarchy film festival in September.Markus Selin, founder and owner of Solar Films, has high hopes for the screen adaptations, but says Finns need to build a better Stateside network to help achieve an international breakthrough."It will happen -- in a year or 10 years. It needs a few films where the directors get hired in Hollywood," he says. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Muppets Unscripted: Miss Piggy, Kermit, Jason Segel and Amy Adams Talk Fashion, Films and Fozzie Bear

Underwhelmed by the Empire Magazine 'Dark Knight Rises' covers featuring Bane and Batman? Fear not! The magazine also has an exclusive interview with Christopher Nolan, where the notoriously spoiler-conscious director reveals a bit of plot information that is sure to pique the interest of fanboys near and far. Spoilers ahead! "It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story," Nolan told Empire. "We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after 'The Dark Knight.' So he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state." That's right, y'all: Future Batman! The time jump -- beyond being cool -- will also likely help the narrative structure. After all, 'The Dark Knight' ended with Batman on the run and The Joker captured. By starting nearly a decade after, many difficult to untangle knots -- like immediately dealing with the real-life death of Heath Ledger and the absence of The Joker -- will be mostly inconsequential to the story. [via Empire] [Photo: AP] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

The Ambassador ((Ambassadoren))

'The Ambassador'A Zentropa Real Aps presentation, in colaboration with New Danish Screen, in co-production with Film i Huge, Zentropa Intl. Sweden. (Worldwide sales: Trust Nordisk, Copenhagen.) Produced by Peter Engel, Carsten Holst. Executive producers, Peter Aalbaek Jensen, Peter Garde. Co-producers, Petri Rossi, Peter p Maegd, Madeleine Ekman. Directed by Mads Brugger. Script, Maja Jul Larsen, Brugger.With: Mads Brugger, Avoi Jakobsen, Colin Evans, Varney Sherman, Dalkia Gilbert, Albert, Bernard, Paul. (British, French, Danish, Sango dialogue)Shot mainly on hidden cameras, troubling docu "The Ambassador" tracks Danish helmer Mads Brugger ("The Red-colored-colored Chapel") around the semicomic, semiserious pursuit to reveal how easy it's to fake a title to have the ability to bribe government bodies and smuggle blood stream diamonds from central Africa. Thinking about that Brugger works in submitting corruption that will surprise nobody, questions remain about what much much deeper points the pic is trying to create, because the representation in the residents teeters round the side of racism. However, if auds aren't troubled by such issues, "The Ambassador" should make diplomatic missions to assist fests and TV shops. Getting shaved his mind, donned a costly suit, and adopted "Mads Cortzen" as his alias, Brugger can get lower to business inside the opening minutes by settling with restless Liverpuddlian Colin Evans, shot without Evans' awareness. Evans signifies a company that effectively sells diplomatic sexual and status to people prone to work in nations like the Central African Republic (Vehicle), where blood stream diamonds could be bought -- the biz Brugger hints to Evans he wants to find yourself in. Before extended, Brugger/Cortzen is possessing a Liberian diplomatic passport, despite the fact that papers that guarantee full diplomatic status remain tantalizingly unobtainable through the pic, despite numerous phone calls to fixers and money bribes moved with the amusingly titled "the the envelopes of happiness." Brugger produces shop in CAR's capital, Bangui, and proceeds to oil the wheels of commerce with further the the envelopes, particularly to government apparatchik Dalkia Gilbert, who easily also runs a gem mine. Needing an appliance cover story to explain his presence in Vehicle, Brugger pretends being creating a match factory employing pygmies, which sooner or later occasions a "pygmy party" inside a native village. Two stoical, poker-faced pygmies, known only as Albert and Bernard, are used as his assistants, and lastly Brugger claims those are the main residents he feels they can trust, specially when it starts to look like his translator, Paul, is at cahoots with Gilbert. It soon becomes apparent that in this postcolonial economy, nearly everyone would be to scam everyone else. It's with this point the pic seems being edging into politically incorrect territory as, Albert and Bernard aside, virtually every African is represented as buffoonish, venal or both, although being fair, all the Males and ladies appear much like morally reprehensible, otherwise a lot more. Ultimately, auds can start to question what novel information exactly remains uncovered with this particular journey into what's, to describe Brugger, Africa's spleen of darkness. Nonetheless, Brugger guarantees it's a fairly entertaining trip, specially when he starts to relish participating in character since the dubious white-colored guy in Africa. Jaunty tunes within the 19 thirties, '40s and '50s supply the montages some bounce, adding a layer of cynical irony that's thrown into elevated relief by periodic moments of real menace and outright danger. Considering the majority of the footage was shot on hidden small-DV cameras, lensing looks good round the bigscreen, and editing by Carsten Sosted, Kimmo Taavila and Leif Axel Kjeldsen keeps the narrative flowing easily.Camera (color, HD), Johan Stahl Winthereik editor, Carsten Sosted, Kimmo Taavila, Leif Axel Kjeldsen music, Niclas Schak, Container Soheili appear, Stahl Winthereik appear designers, Hendes Kock, Andreas Kongsgaard Mogensen supervisory appear editor, Jum Korsgaard line producer, Charlotte now now Vinther connect producer, Jonas Bagger. Examined at Intl. Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (opener), November. 20, 2011. Running time: 93 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

McCarthy at the top of Odd jobs

McCarthy "Mutually BeneficialInch author-director Tom McCarthy provides a 2-year first-look cope with OddLot Entertainment, covering film, TV and all sorts of media outdoors of McCarthy's acting work.OddLot will give you overhead and development fund for McCarthy. The banner's searching at McCarthy's next directorial project because the first project to come under the brand new deal. McCarthy and Kate Churchill, his director of development and production, depends in NY. Sierra/Affinity will repetition foreign sales on all films OddLot evolves and produces with McCarthy as director, producer or author.McCarthy's resume includes writing and pointing "The Station Agent" and "The Customer" and story credit with Pete Docter and Bob Billings on Disney's "Up." Acting credits include "Flags in our Fathers," "Syriana," "Night and Best Of Luck,Inch "Satisfy the Parents" and "Little Fockers" together with being featured within the final season of "The Wire."OddLot principal Gigi Pritzker stated, "Tom is indeed a visionary and talent. The love and intelligence comes through in the work."McCarthy stated of OddLot: "Their proven mission of supporting artists while supplying creative freedom is what I had been searching for inside a partner."OddLot would be a producer on "Drive" and it is in pre-production on "Ender's Game" according to Orson Scott Card's novel concerning the potential to deal with an extraterrestrial alien invasion. Gavin Hood will direct, and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci will co-produce with OddLot's Gigi Pritzker and Linda McDonough, together with Card and Lynn Hendee. Digital Domain is another creating partner with Summit, that will release the pic in 2013.The offer was discussed by McCarthy's reps at Gersh and attorney Andrew Hurwitz of Schreck Rose by OddLot's Aaron Michiel. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Michele Bachmann's Campaign Manager Calls CBS News Producer a 'Piece of S---' Among 'Media Bias' Accusations

Bachmann Wanted and her campaign manager are accusing CBS News of "media prejudice" carrying out a CBS News producer erroneously sent an e-mail to her speaker suggesting the Republican presidential candidate would get less questions than her rivals throughout Saturday evening's debate.our editor recommendsRepublican Debate on CBS: Candidates Spar Over Foreign PolicyMitt Romney, Bachmann Desired to Boycott Univision Debate Due to Extortion Allegations'Butter': Jennifer Garner Campaigns just like a Bachmann Wanted Clone (Video) Jackie Mason States Bachmann Wanted Should Drop Her Presidential Election BidMichele Bachmann's Military Jacket Can get Wayne Newton's Election (Poll)Related Subjects•Politics Just before the controversy, a CBS worker sent an email to CBS News producer John Dickerson and Bachmann speaker Alice Stewart connected with Bachmann's participation in the publish-debate webcast, according to CNN. Dickerson was told inside the message that Stewart happen to be duplicated. PHOTOS: Best Presidents in Film and tv But Dickerson either overlooked that point or did not make sure to eliminate Stewart from his reply. He supported using this message for the worker: "OK, let's maintain it loose, though, since she's not receiving many questions and he or she's nearly in the charts wishing that individuals will get someone else.Inch Through the debate, backed by CBS and National Journal, the Minnesota congresswoman really wasn't asked for as much questions since the front-runners. "It's only sincere allowing the candidates to be capable of speak and not deliberately ahead of time decide to limit candidates' chance to talk with the U . s . states people,Inch she mentioned after it absolutely was over. "Clearly, it was a instance of media prejudice." PHOTOS: Stars Who've Carried out People in politics Bachmann's campaign manager, Keith Nahigian, was a little more blunt within the reaction. According to CNN, he "stormed using the spin room" within the Sc debate, saying: "John Dickerson needs to be fired. He's a little of shit. He's a fraud which he needs to be fired." Due to its part, CBS News mentioned the e-mail was "a candid exchange about view of the circumstances -- Bachmann remains at 4% inside the polls." Dickerson echoed that sentiment to CNN: "Bachmann reaches four percent inside the polls and contains been for a while. Other candidates aren't. I sent an e-mail based on that." PHOTOS:Bachmann Wanted as well as the Politics of favor Meanwhile, debate moderator and CBS Evening News host Scott Pelley mentioned he wasn't alert to the e-mail in regards to the chain, but he and also the co-host, National Journal's Major Garrett, tried to become fair inside the time they gave to each candidate. Related Subjects Scott Pelley CBS News Politics Bachmann Wanted

Contender: 'Midnight in Paris'

'Midnight in Paris' See the Variety reviewDespite Woodsy Allen's insoluble link with NY (together with a far more-than-implied aversion to La), the writer-director found new vitality in the lighthearted sojourn abroad this year with "Evening amount of time in Paris" -- the newest in the series lately-career photos occur our planet's most scenic urban centers.But after opening the Cannes film festival in May, "Evening time" ongoing to seduce audiences like few other Allen pic before, which can't hurt its chances inside the pointing, original script and perhaps even performance groups. Set one of the literary Paris in the '20s, time-traveling fantasy charmed professionals, while word-of-mouth saved it in theaters with the summer season, making "Evening time" Allen's finest hit ever. (Getting an international cume more than $128 million, it positively dwarfs the closest Allen film, "Hannah and her Brothers and sisters." It's also remade its budget three occasions.)The director is really a regular title round the Oscar ballot since "Annie Hall" needed 1977's best picture, author and director honours, but, in the 18 nominations he's received since, really the only other time he won was for writing "Hannah" -- two-and-a-half decades ago.Once the Academy is hesitant to fete Allen themselves, acknowledging Corey Stoll's turn as Ernest Hemingway might be another way of recognizing a movie that has resuscitated the helmer's career.Release date: June 10 The brand new the new sony Pictures Classics See the Variety review Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Jason Statham Doesn't Play It 'Safe' In New Trailer

In Jason Statham's upcoming film "Safe," he's finally found a girl worth fighting for. Except, in this case, she's only 12 years old. The "Transporter" star plays a former NY cop who gets caught in a tricky situation when he spots some men attempting to capture a young girl in a subway station. After incapacitating them and rescuing the girl (could this technically be kidnapping? I guess we'll find out in the movie), he discovers that the reason the men are after her is because she has the ability to memorize anything placed in front of her, and this time she memorized something pretty darn important. The series of numbers she was forced to remember are a code, but a code for what? Apparently it's for something important enough to go to war over. Statham definitely seems in his element in "Safe," which hits theaters March 2. Kicking butt, taking names and being the all-around perfect action hero is just another day in the life of the British actor, who is currently filming "The Expendables 2." But it's nice that "Safe" will also showcase Statham's sentimental side, as he definitely ends up having a strong emotional connection with the young girl he has taken on as his ward. Arguably the best moment in the trailer comes at the end, when Statham admits to the gentleman standing next to him that he never knows "what to say in these moments." "What moments?" the man asks. "The ones before I kill someone," Statham replies, and then flies at the camera with guns blazing. He might play pretty much the same character in every action movie he stars in, but Statham is certainly an actor we love to watch on the big screen. What did you think of the "Safe" trailer? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Disney Beats Fiscal 4Q Estimates With Strong Results At ESPN And Theme Parks

The company reportednet income of $1.1B, up 30% vs the period last year, on revenues of $10.43B, up 7%. That comfortably beat Street forecasts for revenues of $10.36B. Earnings, at 58 cents a share, also topped predictions of 54 cents — and without one-time charges would have hit 59 cents. Disney’s cable channels led the charge with revenues up 9% to $4.8B and a 20% hike in operating profits to $1.46B. The company says that ESPN and the overseas channels led the way with higher affiliate fees and international ad growth — although the sports channel was hurt by rising costs for programming and marketing and a ratings drop from the loss of the FIFA World Cup. The networks figures include the ABC broadcast operation, where revenues were up 4% to $1.33B with a 37% increase in operating income to $201M. Although it didn’t have political ads, the unit benefitted from higher ad rates — partly due to an uptick in ratings for news and sports — and lower programming costs. The company says that scatter prices are 25% ahead of the upfront market. At the theme parks, attendance was up 1% but spending was up 9% due to price increases. That led to a revenue increase of 11% to $3.13B with operating income rising 33% to $421M. The company says that consumer spending was up — especially new guest offerings at Disney California Adventure and at the Disney Cruise Line,although sales were down at the Disney Vacation Club. The studio had mixed results with revenues down 8% to $1.46B and operating income up 13% to $117M. Home entertainment sales were down andCars 2 was no match for last year’s Toy Story 3 — but last year’s results included a $100M writedown from the closing of Robert Zemeckis’film studio in Northern California.

New funds support P&A

The independent sector is finally finding help to cover the marketing expenses of theatrical releases. On Friday, Endgame Entertainment revealed a prints and advertising fund worth $400 million-$500 million for that discharge of films for example helmer Rian Johnson's "Looper." Meanwhile, Patrician Resource Management just guaranteed its first investment from the non-U.S. institutional investor because of its varied film financing fund. Endgame Delivering, the new P&A fund, adds a basis of equity augmented with a turning senior debt facility from Comerica and Union Bank -- two cornerstones of lending towards the independent sector -- as well as mezzanine debt from London-based Octopus Opportunities. "There's versatility included in this structure," stated Endgame Entertainment leader Douglas Hansen. Endgame Delivering will concentrate on theatrical releases reaching a minimum of 1,800 domestic screens by having to pay their $20 million-plus theatrical marketing campaigns. The wide-release can also be went after by established P&A bankers Clarius Capital and Qualia Capital. "It's safer for all of us to invest $$ 30 million than $20 million," stated William Sadleir of Clarius. "That could appear counterproductive. A lot of producers say, 'How inexpensively can one understand this film available?' however the film fails." Amir Malin, controlling partner at varied media financier Qualia Capital, which provided P&A for The new sony Pictures' "Planet 51," stated, "The amount of distribution expires however the commercial stability is lower. The majority of the distribution we're seeing don't merit a viable commercial release." At Patrician Resource Management, Hollywood marketing executive and senior portfolio manager David Forbes stated that P&A is most effective when there is a slate of films, so risk is not concentrated in a single or simply a couple of movies. P&A, though needed, is usually difficult to find since it is structured because the last money place in and first money compensated from theatrical rental fees, video and possibly other ancillary revenue in the same film. The erosion of video revenue upended P&A recoupment information. "To gain access to money today, you need a really strong foreign sales component and ancillaries in position (video and TV deals) to exhibit the revenue returning, even when the film will get only limited exposure within the U.S.," stated Mark Borde, who's co-leader of Freestyle Delivering, which supplies theatrical distribution for films supplying marketing costs. As the theatrical pipeline is less clogged with less releases, effectively marketing more compact game titles remains an costly challenge. "There is an excuse for P&A funding," stated Clark Hallren, controlling partner at Obvious Scope Partners, a Rizvi Traverse media financer putting together a P&A fund. Small independents searching for one-picture P&A deals are frequently left to solicit wealthy people. "There's very little P&A money available for indie films," stated John Flock, Boss of W2 Media. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Sierra/Affinity sells 'Europa' to 12 buyers

LONDON -- Nick Meyer's Sierra/Affinity is off to a brisk sales start at the American Film Market this year having inked 12 international territory deals for Sebastian Cordero's "Europa."Pic has sold to Oz and New Zealand (Hopscotch), Gaul (Metropolitan Filmexport), Germany and Switzerland (Ascot Elite), South Africa (Ster Kinekor Entertainment), India (Tanweer) and the Middle East (Eagle Films). Title also sold to South Korea (Noori Pictures), Indonesia (PT Amero Mitra Film), Israel (United King Video) and Thailand (Media Film International). "Europa" toplines Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Anamaria Marinca, Christian Camargo and Karolina Wydra, and is penned by Philip Gelatt. Story follows a group of astronauts who are sent on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon. Misher Films' Kevin Misher and Wayfare Entertainment's Ben Browning will both produce. Pic is skedded to lense Nov. 7 in NY. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com