'Book of Mormon' recoups

Hallelujah -- Broadway tuner "The Book of Mormon" has recouped its capitalization costs.Show's swift journey into the black isn't much of a surprise given the stellar grosses the musical has consistently logged since it opened in March. Legit outing from "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and "Avenue Q" composer Robert Lopez has become one the Street's hottest tickets, regularly commanding an average ticket price of about $150.Last week, during the high-demand Thanksgiving frame, "Mormon" logged $1,677,963 for nine perfs, reporting a whopping $170 average per-ducat price. During its time on the Rialto, show has logged a cume of more than $45 million.Producers won't confirm the Broadway capitalization cost of the musical, but it's generally thought "Mormon" weighed in at around $8 million or $9 million.Musical's sales are powered not only by the international popularity of Parker and Stone's "South Park," the Comedy Central skein that's amassed a huge fanbase over 15 seasons, but also by the enthusiastic response of the legit world. Tuner won critical raves when it opened and then in June took home nine Tonys, including the new musical laurel, the one theater kudo generally believed to have a real impact on box office.Production also benefits from the size of its venue, the Eugene O'Neill Theater, which at 1,066 seats is considerably smaller than most tuner houses on the Main Stem. The theater's limited ticket inventory, coupled with high consumer demand, have driven up ticket prices: Top non-premium ducat costs $153, while the top premium pricetag is $475.Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad and Nikki M. James lead the cast of "Mormon," about a pair of Latter Day Saints sent on a mission to Uganda. Show is co-helmed by Parker and Casey Nicholaw, who also choreographed.Anne Garefino and Scott Rudin lead a team of producers that also includes Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Jean Doumanian, Roy Furman, Important Musicals, Stephanie P. McClelland, Kevin Morris, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Prods. and Stuart Thompson. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

And That's When Miley Cyrus Released a Video in Support of Occupy Wall Street

Shortly after outing herself as a stoner at her 19th birthday party, Miley Cyrus proved that her interests and causes are diverse…by releasing a video in which she offers her support to Occupy Wall Street. Naturally! The video, which looks like a fan-made mash-up, combines the teen multimillionaire’s 2010 pop song “Liberty Walk” with actual footage from the Occupy protests, in which masses of people protest the greed and the corruption of the 1 percent. Cyrus dedicates the video “to the thousands of people who are standing up for what they believe in.” Do you think this is just an opportunistic play by Cyrus — to either glean attention from this lingering news story or to salvage her reputation following video evidence of her marijuana habit — or a sincere gesture of support? Either way, she may have been better served by filming a music video at one of the rallies and providing work/extra pay for Occupy Wall Street supporters the way Dark Knight Rises originally intended to do. [via Village Voice]

The Finest Paid out Youthful Stars in Movies

When Kermit, Miss Piggy, Jason Segel and may Be sitting lower for Moviefone's Muppets Unscripted session, they considered in on current day most pressing issues. Like, which has the greater amusing laugh, Seth Rogen or Fozzie Bear? Is Meryl Streep or Miss Piggy a far greater actress? And what went lower when Kermit and Jason Segel spent a evening in Mexico? All valid questions. All amusing responses. (Hint on that 4g apple iphone: it involved a glass or two referred to as 'The Muppet.') The session includes something the earth is dying to know -- no less than according to Miss Piggy. The facts? You will have to uncover the shocking truth to uncover (consider the five:15 mark), however, you won't be sorry. Muppets Unscripted: You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll jump for pleasure. Ensure to check out 'The Muppets,' opening country wide this Wednesday, November. 23. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook Embed inside your site:

Former Pointer Sister Arrested Throughout LA Traffic Stop

First Launched: November 18, 2011 4:25 PM EST Credit: WireImage La, Calif. -- Caption Bonnie Pointer attends the grand opening of Bravada Womens Athletica on Robertson Blvd. on June 10, 2010 in Los AngeleLos Angeles County government physiques say singer Patricia Bonnie Pointer remains billed with analysis of getting rock cocaine. Sheriffs representative Steve Whitmore states the 61-year-old was arrested in South La Friday following a vehicle she was driving was stopped for just about any mechanical malfunction. Deputies say she was released after posting $10,000 bail. An e-mail to her last known representative wasn't immediately clarified. Bonnie and her brothers and sisters was elevated singing in chapel. She and June produced a duo and were singing in clubs when Anita and Ruth grew to become an associate of these. The brothers and sisters released their first album in 1973 and won a Grammy in 1974. Bonnie left in 1977 for just about any solo career. She's due in the courtroom in Inglewood on Jan. 17. Copyright 2011 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ashton Kutcher: 'Man' finds new guy

KutcherAll eyes were on when he walked straight into fill the "two and a half Males" void left by Charlie Sheen. Even though first episode's astronomical showing, which saw 28.7 million stay updated, may be lined around curiosity, the CBS skein is constantly impress two several days later, as Monday's No. 1 entertainment series in many key demos.Still, not everyone was amused by Kutcher's performance. The summer season premiere known for him to appear nude in the scene. "I had been racking your brains on the way in which we'd do that before an energetic studio audience," states Kutcher, who dusted off a prosthetic created for his "Naked Guy" Internet sketch in the handful of previously. "Once I needed my clothes off, everyone else could tell that we wasn't really naked. But we didn't tell the Standards and Practices person from CBS that we would do that, so she came lower screaming from her booth, losing it.InchAdditionally to filling Sheen's shoes, the actor-producer-Internet trailblazer also filled seats within the multiplex this season. Kutcher's edgy romantic comedy "Nsa,Inch which nabbed $149 million worldwide, did particularly strong business overseas -- a amazing task thinking about the truth that such fare typically doesn't travel well. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Can Julie Taymor Shut Down 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'? (Analysis)

Julie Taymor's lawsuit against producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark might be a much bigger deal than most people realize. The initial media coverage of the suit Tuesday presents Taymor's claims as a dispute over owed royalties -- which is certainly part of what the director is seeking, but not all of it.In fact, as strange as it sounds, Taymor's million dollar claims are obscuring the potentially billion dollar ones.our editor recommendsJulie Taymor Sues 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' for Infringing Her Creative Input'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' Producers Fire Back at Julie Taymor How do we come to this calculation? Check out the money that was reaped by Taymor's last blockbuster Broadway musical, The Lion King. According to a story in NY magazine in 2010, Lion King was mounted for $25 million in 1997, but then went on to gross $4.2 billion worldwide. Most hit musicals don't make the big bucks in ticket sales. According to Taymor's lawsuit,Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark has already grossed $60 million in revenue. That doesn't include running costs, however. One study concluded that if the showmerely relied on Broadway box office to fill the coffers, it would take 4 years before it even began showing a profit. Rather, the biggest pot of money comes through licensing productions around the world and other ancillary income. Which brings us back to Taymor's lawsuit and the single most threatening thing about her complaint: "Upon information and belief, Hello and 8 Legged are preparing to produce or license to be produced, without Taymor's approval, a version of the Musical to be performed in venues other than on Broadway....Taymor and LOH are entitled to a permanent injunction barring Defendants from producing or licensing a version of the Musical to be performed in a venue other than on Broadway without Taymor's written consent." Is this a real possibility or merely leverage to extract a settlement on Taymor's breach of contract claims? Regardless of the answer, Taymor is putting on a good show in her ambitious copyright claims. According to the complaint, in August 2005, Taymor signed a deal memorandum with producers for her services as a co-bookwriter, which she terms an "Author Deal Memo." The agreement provides that Taymor "as a co-owner of the book of the musical...shall have approval...over dispositions of rights to the Musical, and all other decisions customarily reserved to the authors of the Musical." It's possible that the agreement was merely giving her final cut on Broadway, not an interest in derivative licensed versions of the show elsewhere. But Taymor then goes on to offer a theory that even though Spider-Man adapted its book by changing characters and revising some plot lines after she was let go, it still constituted an infringement since the new book copied substantially similar expression from her original treatment and book. "In total, over 350 lines of dialogue and descriptions of stage activity -- nearly one quarter of the Infringing Book -- are copied verbatim from Taymor's Original Book," the complaint says. Then, Taymor's complaint presents a side-by-side comparison of stage activity, plot arcs, and dialogue so that a judge can see the alleged substantial similarity. Here's one example of how Taymor is attempting to claim copyright in descriptions of stage activity: Finally, the hopeful coup de grâce: "With respect to the current Broadway production of the Musical, Taymor is entitled to a permanent injunction barring Defendants from using copyrighted elements of her Original Book without compensating her for such use and honoring their contracts with her... Taymor is entitled to a permanent injunction barring Defendants from any future use of copyrighted elements of her Original Book in any medium whatsoever, including any future production of the Musical in venues other than on Broadway and any 'making-of' film or video, without Taymor's written consent." Yes, Taymor is looking to stop the show if she's not paid appropriately. No doubt that defendantMichael Cohl's 8 Legged Prods will have arguments that will look to limit Taymor's claimed interest in future productions of Spider-Man, but there's an open question about whether the defendants are really going to put a potential billion-dollar enterprise on the line in lieu of just paying Taymor a tidy sum to go away. Taymor may never ultimately get a judgment that grants her an injunction. but will licensees take that chance? What will the insurance premiums be on a licensed production that is one potential adverse judgement from getting shut down? Cohl has responded to Taymor's lawsuit by saying that "fortunately the court system will provide, once and for all, an opportunity to resolve this dispute," but if he really plans on more Spider-Man productions around the world, we wonder if there's not a much greater possibility this case settles. E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner Julie Taymor Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Carlos Thins Broadcast Rivals Protest His Web TV Delivery In Mexico

Rivals of Carlos Slim are protesting to government government bodies his delivery of TV programming over the internet in Mexico, Bloomberg reviews. Grupo Televisa Boss Emilio Azcarraga complained recently and television Azteca has sued against Slim’s companies in addition to complained towards the nation’s phone regulator over Web broadcasts for example last several weeks Pan American Games.Thins America Movil and Telefonos p Mexico are forbidden by using their systems to provide TV service underneath the relation to their telecommunications license which was acquired inside a 1990 privatization purchase. Slim, 71, has attempted unsuccessfully to turn back prohibit, especially as Televisa has started offering phone and Online sites to lure away his clients. Banning web videos with no broadcast license would also affect companies for example Netflix, that has begun streaming services in Latin America, and Mexican phone company Maxcom which began a web-based TV plan in September. Jose Otero, an analyst at Signals Telecom Talking to located in Uruguay stated thatif youre have to a broadcasting license to provide video streaming, youre gonna need to block most companies. America Movil has already been the greatest pay-TV provider across all Latin America, with 12.5 million customers, mostly in South america, in comparison with DirecTVs 10.3 million. And America Movilis moving strongly toward delivery of pay-per-view and streaming of Hollywood movies. Telmex, because the America Movil unit is famous, started offering a web-based news service, Uno TV Noticias, 3 years ago. It's added coverage of F1 racing where it sponsors driver Sergio Perez, as well as occasions like the Worldwide Cervantino Festival, craft creativity gathering in Guanajuato, Mexico.TV Azteca started its legal moves after Telmex began online transmissions recently from the Pan American Games, held this season in Guadalajara, Mexico. The broadcaster argues that despite the fact that the streaming video is free of charge for those Internet customers, Telmex uses its network to deliver the programming and it is therefore breaking the relation to its license, Nino stated. Telmex was the official sponsor from the Games coupled with online broadcast privileges for Mexico.Competition between Thins companies and Mexicos two tv stations has intensified this season. Slim drawn his companies advertising in the tv stations and each side filed antitrust complaints against one another.America Movil has 70% of Mexicos wireless customers, and Telmex has 77% from the nations home phones. Televisa and television Azteca get many of the nations TV audiences.

Exclusive Sneak Look Video: Grimm Assumes Goldilocks

David Giuntoli On the planet of Grimm, everyday crimes like breaking and entering can unlock some surprising dangers. On Friday's episode (9/8c, NBC) Nick and Hank (David Giuntoli and Russell Hornsby) investigate a house-invasion situation and stumble upon a household having a cultural background together with a crude history possibly that is better left previously. Rankings: Grimm's debut is not Read this start looking: Err. The episode is entitled "Bears Is Going To Be Bears" and includes a blonde named Gilda (Amy Gumenick) who's been inside a house that's clearly not hers. It sure seems like "Goldilocks and also the Three Bears," but as this is Grimm, we are expecting a couple of twists. Porridge might not be involved! Grimm airs Fridays at 9/8c on NBC. Are you currently searching toward this episode? How have you such as the premiere?

Oscar Producer Gilbert Cates Dies at 77 (Report)

Gilbert Cates, who produced accurate documentation 14 Oscar telecasts throughout an 18-year span, has died, TMZ reported Tuesday. He was 77 his body was apparently discovered in the car park at UCLA. An agent for your Academy could not browse the report early Tuesday.Related Subjects•Obituaries While known mainly just like a TV producer/director, Cates stood a solid career in film and also on Broadway. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths His TV written content was frequently bold for your occasions: He directed Consenting Adult in 1984, which dedicated to homosexuality, which he directed Do You Realize the Muffin Guy? in 1989, which devoted to child molestation. He received Emmy nominations for top director for telefilms. Similarly, Cates was credited with shaking up things because they are in the Oscar telecasts, getting such new-blood stream hosts as Billy Very, Steve Martin, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg and David Letterman. His 14 Oscar telecasts came throughout time 1990-2008, which he won an Emmy for your 1991 show. Related Subjects Obituaries

ADG to fete 'Harry Potter' creative team

The Art Directors Guild has tapped the principal creative team of the ''Harry Potter'' series as recipients of its Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award. The team includes producers David Heyman and David Barron; director David Yates; creator and author J.K. Rowling; screenwriter Steve Kloves; production designer Stuart Craig; art director Neil Lamont; and set decorator Stephenie McMillan. Thomas A. Walsh, president of the guild, and awards co-producers Tom Wilkins and Greg Grande made the announcement Tuesday. The kudo will be presented to the group at the 16th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Feb. 4 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The guild noted that Lamont and Barron have worked together on six of the Potter films. Rowling, Heyman, Kloves, Craig and McMillan began their collaboration with the first film, ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.'' Yates directed the final four films of the series. The ''Harry Potter'' films cumed world box office of more than $7.7 billion. ''Their phenomenal success is due to a unity of vision and the masterful wizardry of the franchise's creator, producers, screenwriter and art direction family,'' Walsh said. ''From the very beginning a unique creative partnership has guided the realization of these finely crafted gems. The result is a lasting legacy to the art of narrative storytelling for the moving image, one that will stand the test of time, and one that has raised the creative bar of achievement for all who love film.'' It's the first time that the Art Directors Guild has selected a motion picture team for the kudo. Previous recipients of the guild's award include Bill Taylor, Syd Dutton, Warren Beatty, Allen Daviau, Clint Eastwood, Blake Edwards, Terry Gilliam, Ray Harryhausen, Norman Jewison, John Lasseter, George Lucas, Frank Oz, Steven Spielberg, Robert S. Wise and Zhang Yimou. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com