Robert Rodriguez forms indie company

Robert Rodriguez is forming Quick Draw Prods., a new venture that will develop, produce and fully finance indie films in partnership with Gigi Pritzker's OddLot Entertainment and Michel Litvak's Bold Films.

Multi-picture deal calls for action-oriented, commercial fare. Affinity Intl. will handle foreign sales.

"This new venture allows us to develop, greenlight and produce films from the idea stage through delivery," Rodriquez said. "I look forward to developing and producing films under the banner as well as working with filmmakers that I am inspired by."

Rodriquez will direct some of the pics, and produce others.

Quick Draw will be based in Austin, TX, and will formally launch at the American Film Market, which gets underway this week in Santa Monica.

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The Weinstein Co.: Drills down on market

The Weinsteins have mounted yet another comeback. Maybe they lost their bid to buy back the Miramax label, but TWC has come out of its debt-restructuring with the vengeance of a Quentin Tarantino heroine. At the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, they beat out several rivals to acquire three coveted films, "Dirty Girl," "Submarine," and "Sarah's Key," not to mention buzz pic "The King's Speech."

At AFM, the company will be focusing on international sales of "Scream 4," the Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle "I Don't Know How She Does It" and "Spy Kids 3-D." Of the latter, TWC COO David Glasser says, "It's an incredible opportunity for the independent (buyers), because this is a bigger studio-level picture."

The company will also be unveiling titles on its 2012 slate, including adaptations of prestige properties "Osage County," based on the play, and "The Alchemist," from the bestselling novel.

AFM will also provide TWC a platform to shake off its critics and reassert itself as a viable company with long-term goals.

"One of the things that we're trying to promote right now is to give a consistent picture of here are the next 24 months," notes Glasser. "Harvey and Bob are best when they're focused, and we're absolutely headed in that direction."

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'Soul Surfer' is first FilmDistrict pickup

Peter Schlessel and Bob Berney's newly formed FilmDistrict is teaming with TriStar Pictures on "Soul Surfer," based on the real-life story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm during a shark attack.

FilmDistrict will market the film, which TriStar opens in theaters nationwide on April 15, 2011. Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, AnnaSophia Robb and Carrie Underwood topline.

Sean McNamara directs from a script he wrote with Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz and Deborah Schwartz. Film is based on Bethany Hamilton's memoir "Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board."

It's the first film to go out via FilmDistrict's deal with Sony Pictures.

Pic also stars Lorraine Nicholson, Kevin Sorbo and Jeremy Sumpter.

Enticing Entertainment and Island Film Group financed the film, which was produced by Mandalay Vision, Brookwell McNamara Entertainment and Life's A Beach Entertainment.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions picked up North American and substantial international rights before the film went into production.

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Santa Barbara Film Fest honors Annette Bening

The Santa Barbara Film Festival will fete Annette Bening with the American Riviera Award.

The American Riviera Award was created to honor actors with strong influence on American cinema.

Past recipients include Sandra Bullock, Mickey Rourke, Tommy Lee Jones, Forrest Whitaker, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.

Bening, who has been Oscar nommed three times, also received the first Montecito Award from the fest in 2005 for her career achievements. She starred in "Mother and Child" and "The Kids Are All Right" this year.

The Santa Barbara Film Fest will recognize Bening on Jan. 28 at Santa Barbara's Arlington Theater. The 26th annual fest runs Jan. 27 to Feb. 6.

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Reliance Big Entertainment, BBC pact on pic trio

BBC Earth, the natural history brand of BBC Worldwide, and India's Reliance Big Entertainment have entered a co-production and distribution deal for three pics, starting with the $65 million "Walking With Dinosaurs 3D."

All three will be distributed via Reliance's international film sales and financing arm IM Global.
Deal was negotiated over several months by Marcus Arthur, BBC Worldwide's managing director of global brands, BBC Earth director Amanda Hill, IM Global topper Stuart Ford and Reliance's Deepak Nayar.
"Walking With Dinosaurs 3D," inspired by the BBC series, will be co-directed by Pierre De Lespinois of U.S.-based Evergreen Films and BBC Earth's Neil Nightingale.
Second co-production will be the $25 million documentary "Africa 3D," which will be filmed alongside "Africa," the BBC's upcoming TV series. Pic is also made in partnership with Evergreen Films.
Third pic is "Life," currently in post-production and slated for a 2011 release. Pic follows the cycle of animal life to the birth of the next generation and is co-directed by Mike Gunton and Martha Holmes. It is produced by Magic Light Pictures' Martin Pope and Michael Rose.
IM Global will begin international sales on "Walking With Dinosaurs 3D" and "Life" at the American Film Market, which begins on Wednesday.
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What Oksana and Mel Are Really Fighting Over

10/31/2010 1:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff   The real fight between Oksana Grigorieva and Mel Gibson may not be about child custody at all ... we've learned the various lawyers who have been repping Oksana have been focused on a legal document created long before Lucia was born.

TMZ was first to report the problem with the Icon Trust -- created by Mel and Robyn to provide for their seven children. The trust defines "issue" (aka children) as kids born from Mel or Robyn. When it was drafted, no one thought Mel or Robyn would have a child outside the marriage. Enter Oksana.
Sources connected with Mel and Robyn say no one in their family wants to screw Lucia out of her inheritance, but if she becomes a beneficiary in Mel's trust it would create some complicated tax issues.
So when Oksana and Mel broke up and struck a settlement deal during the mediation in May, the very first term reads, "Oksana consents to amendment of Icon Trust to exclude Lucia."
In return for excluding Lucia, Mel agreed to provide a financial package for the baby worth more than $8 million.
Sounds like a sweet deal. So why did Oksana disavow the mediation she signed? We're told the lawyers Oksana hooked up with after the mediation believed Lucia got royally screwed by giving up an interest in the trust. They told Oksana that Lucia would stand to get around $50 million under the trust agreement ... which they believe represents 1/8 the value of a $400,000,000 trust.
Sources connected with Gibson tell us the money in the trust is not even in the universe of $400,000,000 ... not remotely close.
But here's the deal. If Oksana's lawyers persist and Mel settles out of court, the attorney would get a percentage of the settlement. So they've convinced Oksana there's something in it for her ... and there's something in it for them.
  Tags: Mel Gibson, Robyn Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva, Celebrity Justice
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Oksana Grigorieva -- Flowers for Lucia

10/31/2010 9:50 AM PDT by TMZ Staff   Oksana Grigorieva stopped at a local grocery store Saturday morning to pick up some flowers for her baby Lucia's first birthday party.

As we first reported, papa Mel Gibson tried to arrange to see Lucia for her birthday, but was shot down by a judge.
Flowers are nice too.
Tags: Oksana Grigorieva, Mel Gibson, Paparazzi Photo
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Ashton in the Middle of Iowa Recruiting Controversy

10/31/2010 10:58 AM PDT by TMZ Staff   Ashton Kutcher is the king of Twitter -- but a picture tweeted by a high school recruit may have gotten his favorite school in a little bit of trouble with the NCAA.

According to a report in the Des Moines Register, the University of Iowa has admitted recruiting violations tied to recruits meeting with Ashton and wife Demi Moore during an Iowa football game last month. The alleged infractions also involve the players meeting with former Iowa basketball players.
The paper says NCAA rules prohibit potential high school recruits from interacting with "individuals considered to represent a university's athletic interests." Kutcher attended the University of Iowa briefly and frequently attends games.
The report doesn't mention the players by name -- but two recruits, Marcus Paige and Josh Oglesby were quoted in published reports as having met Kutcher and Moore. Paige (above, bottom left) tweeted the above photo.
Mark Abbott, a senior associate athletic director, told the paper the school is awaiting the NCAA's response to their internal investigation.
Tags: Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, TMZ Sports
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Jamie Chung joins 'Hangover Part II'

Jamie Chung is joining "The Hangover Part II," which recently began production with Todd Phillips directing for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.

She'll play the fiance of Stu, the character portrayed by Ed Helms. Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis and Justin Bartha are reprising their roles; Liam Neeson recently replaced Mel Gibson in role of a tattoo artist in Thailand.
Producers are Phillips and Dan Goldberg with David Siegel co-producing. Script's penned by Phillips, Scot Armstrong and Craig Mazin.
Warners has scheduled "The Hangover Part II" for a May 26 release.
Chung appeared in "Grown Ups" and has wrapped "Premium Rush" and "Sucker Punch."
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DiCaprio to star in 'Devil in the White City'

Leonardo DiCaprio has signed to star as a serial killer in "The Devil in the White City," set up through his Appian Way Prods. with Double Feature Films. DiCaprio will play H.H. Holmes, who murdered somewhere between 27 and 200 people, mostly single young women. Erik Larson's nonfiction book "The Devil in the White City," which has sold 2.3 million copies and been translated into 17 languages, is set against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, tells the intertwining stories of fair architect Daniel H. Burnham and Holmes, who used a hotel he built near the fairgrounds to lure his victims. Project's not set up at a studio. Appian Way, headed by DiCaprio and Jennifer Killoran, has a first look deal at Warner Bros.

"The Devil in the White City," was first put been in development in Hollywood by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner through their Cruise/Wagner banner through the shingle's deal with Par, but the option lapsed in 2004. Paramount reacquired the film rights in 2007 and set it up with producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher, whose shingle Double Feature Films had a first-look deal with the studio at that point.
Appian Way is in post production on "Red Riding Hood" and currently developing "Akira," "The Infiltrator" and "Wolf of Wall Street," based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography. Di Caprio is next appearing in Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar Hoover biopic "Hoover."Double Feature's in production on "Contagion," directed by Steven Soderbergh, and in post-production on the comedy "LOL."
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Lindsay Lohan -- No Tricks, Yes Treats

10/31/2010 9:13 AM PDT by TMZ Staff   Lindsay Lohan won't be going door-to-door asking for treats this year -- instead she's having the candy come to her.

Sources close to LiLo tell TMZ she's been receiving care packages of candy at Betty Ford from some of her closest friends. We're also told Dina Lohan, her sainted mother, is scheduled to visit today and plans to bring a few things to satisfy Lindsay's sweet tooth.
As for Halloween in Betty Ford, we're told patients aren't permitted to trick or treat from unit to unit and they don't dress up -- unless they just happened to pack a costume for their rehab stint.That's a shame ... Lindsay would have made a great Snooki for Halloween. Tags: Lindsay Lohan
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