Archive for February 14th, 2008

Well now that we know Michael Bay has already written the script for Transformers 2, it’s about time we hear from that film’s star, Shia LaBeouf, and see whether he’s ready to go from Indiana Jones back to fighting giant f**king robots. The young star spoke to Empire recently, and seems to be pretty far along in preparations for the sequel. He says, “I know of a few things I have to work on for the next one. I’ve seen pre-vizes of the action scenes and I just saw Michael yesterday. It’s going to be bad-ass. We’re not making another one unless it is, and Mike is definitely not resting on his laurels - he’s doing insane shit again. And the pre-vizes that I’ve seen… it’s just massive. If the first one was any indicator of how massive massive can be, this is going to blow that out of the water. It’s insane.”

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ABC has released a partial list of 11 advertisers for the 80th Annual Academy Awards telecast which will air on Sunday, Feb. 24.

With advertisers paying just north of $1.8 million per 30-second spot, up about 7 percent over last year, the list includes American Express, Coke, JCPenney, L’Oreal, General Motors, Mars/Masterfoods, MasterCard, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Bertolli Frozen Dinners, and Dove Cream Oil Bodywash.
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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — The Oscars will go on, just in time to give broadcast TV a much-needed shot in the arm as marketers question its effectiveness in the aftermath of the writers strike. The Oscars telecast is slated for Feb. 24.

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The past couple of years have brought big changes for Phil Labonte, some related to All That Remains, others to the way he views the world. Getting a detailed breakdown on how things are different for the band he cofounded in 1998 is easy. Reconfirming that radio isn’t the only way to reach the masses these days, All That Remains has benefited hugely from some high-profile product placement.

Three years ago, the Massachusetts five-piece was toiling in the metalcore ghetto, its extreme brand of extreme music doing little to make suburban heshers forget Avenged Sevenfold. Then came the use of the single “This Calling” during the credits of the torture-porn smash Saw III, and the inclusion of “Six” in the must-have video game Guitar Hero II. Both songs are on the band’s most recent disc, The Fall of Ideals, which has sold more than 100,000 copies.

“A bunch of things have really helped raise our profile,” says Labonte, reached on tour in Mississauga, Ontario. “But the biggest things have been the Saw thing and Guitar Hero II. I mean, those things have been huge, gigantic, far bigger than anything that we’ve ever done.”

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Martini wanted to be cool again, the iconic drink it had been back in the 1970s. Universal McCann’s solution was to create a bar in London for a limited time and leverage the location via media, advertising and PR. The bar would serve the coolest Martini-based drinks to a glittering clientele.

The Martini Terrazza was pitched as the most exclusive open-air bar in London for four weeks in May, offering a taste of summer glamour.

Martini Men were sent to offices in London offering Terrazza invites, and reader events were held at the bar for women’s glossies such as OK, Closer and Heat. The bar also was promoted via ads around celebrity print and radio news. Capital FM broadcast its entertainment news live from the bar, and celebrities came for drinks.

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HONG KONG –

China has blocked a Hollywood movie reportedly starring John Cusack and Gong Li from being shot in the country because of concerns about the script, a film official said Wednesday.Luan Guozhi, director of international cooperation at China’s Film Bureau, declined to reveal the government’s concerns about the story for “Shanghai,” but said the filmmakers could make changes and reapply.

“We suggest they make some changes to the script and resubmit their application,” he said in a phone interview.

“Shanghai” is about an American who investigates his friend’s death in World War II-era Japanese-occupied Shanghai.

Producer Mike Medavoy confirmed China’s decision to block the shoot Tuesday, but didn’t give a reason for the denial. Medavoy and production company The Weinstein Co. didn’t immediately respond to e-mails seeking comment Wednesday.

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The Walt Disney Internet Group took the wraps off a wireless Web site for U.K. consumers offering mobile content and interactive services.

The company, which last year folded both its Disney Mobile and ESPN Mobile domestic MVNOs, said the site can be accessed by texting “Disney” to 83335 or via browser at disney.co.uk. The destination includes an arcade with as many as five dozen free and premium games; visitors can also access ringtones and other content from franchises such as “Hannah Montana” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

The company will also use the site to plug new film releases and television shows. The mobile site follows the December launch of a traditional site for Disney fans in the United Kingdom.

“Mobile Internet is experiencing a significant growth phase precipitated by the emergence of 3G handsets and flat-rate data tariffs,” Disney said in a press release. “Disney.co.uk mobile will evolve seamlessly to provide guests with integrated cross-platform services alongside its online sister sites and with the growing portfolio of Disney virtual worlds.”

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BERLIN — Producers of Russia’s most expensive ever film, Fedor Bondarchuk’s $40 million adaptation of cult Soviet sci-fi novel “The Inhabited Island” are holding back from international sales, despite intense interest from Berlinale market buyers.At a packed industry-only 10 minute promo screening at the European Film Market Thursday producer Alexander Rodnyansky said he wanted to build international interest before committing to selling either world rights to a Hollywood major or territory by territory to individual buyers.

Sales agent Raisa Fomina said buyers from key territories, including the U.K. were champing at the bit to do deals.

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NBC and MTV are banding together on a promotional stunt to each premiere upcoming Marshall Herskovitz/Ed Zwick drama quarterlife on the same day.
quarterlife

The show, about the daily travails of a group of 20-somethings, will premiere Sunday, Feb. 26, on the cable network and that same night on NBC. Regular episodes move to Sunday nights on the broadcast network beginning March 2.

The move is unorthodox, as the networks have different corporate parents — MTV is owned by Viacom, while NBC is owned by GE’s NBC Universal — but giving quarterlife’spremiere a sneak peek on cable will put the show in front of its target young viewers, who otherwise may not have watched.

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