Tom Rothman steps down as Fox Film Studios co-chair
It was announced on Friday that longtime co-chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Tom Rothman will resign from his position of 18 years by the end of 2012. In addition to this, major changes will take place in light of News Corp separating film and television production businesses in 2013.
During his time with Fox, Rothman played a critical role in creating Fox Searchlight and releasing Avatar and Titanic—two of the highest grossing films of all time. With his letters of resignation published by The Hollywood Reporter, Rothman expressed a humble sense of gratitude and pride in having served the company over such a long period of time. Co-head of the film division, Jim Gianopulos, is set to take over, along with co-chairs of the TV studio, Dana Walden and Gary Newman working directly under News Corps' Chase Garey.
And the TIFF Audience Award goes to … Silver Linings Playbook!
Popular amongst critics and audiences alike at the Toronto International Film Festival, David O' Russell's latest film, Silver Linings Playbook, took home the festival's People's Choice Award—an honor highly coveted in light of past recipients' extensive history of winning Oscars. Up against Ben Affleck's Argo and Eran Riklis' Zaytoun, the drama-comedy Silver Linings Playbook captured the hearts of festival attendees with its story of a depressed high school teacher trying to return to stability after getting a divorce and psychological treatment at an institution. Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook has been touted as a serious contender for the Oscars with lots of anticipation attached to its theatrical release set for November of this year.
San Sebastian Film Festival halts screenings due to Planned Strike
The San Sebastian Film Festival—held in Madrid, Spain—will be putting a hold on screening films on Wednesday, September 26, due to a planned protest against the Popular Party's austerity program. In an announcement made by the festival organizers, the San Sebastian Film Festival has stated its respect for workers who want to take part in the strike, understanding “the difficult economic situation” in Spain and “the complexity of the situation”. As a result, the festival's activities, installations, and services have been suspended and will only offer screenings of films competing in the festival's select sections.
The Master overtakes Moonrise Kingdom with astounding Per-Theater-Average Record
Over the weekend, Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master broke records with a per-screen average record of $145,949 from five locations in New York and Los Angeles, according to Variety. Overtaking Focus Features' Moonrise Kingdom, which held the top position previously, The Master now holds the title of best limited debut in specialty box office history. Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood also stands as the fourth best live-action average in a limited debut as it collected $95,370 from 2 screens at the end of 2007, according to Indiewire.
Starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams, The Master has also received an overwhelmingly positive response from critics and audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival. And judging from the numbers that have come from the weekend, the film is faring even better as a theatrical release.
