News Corp.: Review in Australia Found No Evidence of Phone Hacking

NY - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said Monday that a three-month review at its major newspapers in Australia has found "no evidence of illegitimate telephone surveillance or payments to public officials." In a number of cases where private investigators were used, staff and companies were asked to provide written assurances that this work was neither illegal, nor illegitimate, the company said. Plus, the review investigated claims by two people, who came forward after the U.K. scandal, saying they suspected staff had hacked their phones, it added. "In these cases, the staff involved in each of the stories were extensively interviewed and no evidence was found to support the claims," News Corp. said. The review was commissioned by retiring News Limited chairman and CEO John Hartigan in the aftermath of the U.K. phone hacking scandal that hit the conglomerate this summer. "The review's findings provide the strongest possible support for News Limited's assertion that its editorial staff have not commissioned the kind of illegitimate surveillance or payments that have come to light in the U.K.," the company said. It said it would, however, make some changes to safeguard standards of conduct. News Corp.'s Australian business will, for example, adopt a single code of conduct across all its editorial operations and "further strengthen the approval process for any use of private investigators," it said. Plus, editorial staff will have to renew their knowledge of the code of conduct every year. The new code will include specific comments on the use of private investigators. Under the new language, unless there are exceptional circumstances, journalists will carry out their own inquiries and investigations, according to the company.Plus, the use of private investigators "must be confined to work which checks, verifies or establishes facts in support of the fundamental requirement for accuracy in our journalism." The editor, divisional head and the group editorial director must approve the use of investigators. Plus, investigators must "provide a written assurance that they will not engage in illegitimate surveillance," the company said. "I said at the start of this process I had no reason to suspect any wrongdoing," said Hartigan. "An incredibly diligent piece of work has confirmed that. Nevertheless we will use this opportunity to put in place measures to further reinforce our standards." The Australian review used a team of 26 auditors and collected data on nearly 685,000 transactions over a five-year period, it said. All cash transactions over $100 and all transactions over $10,000 were checked, according to the firm. More than 28,000 transactions were risk assessed individually and of these 2,321 were examined in detail, the firm said. The newspapers reviewed were The Australian and Weekend Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Herald Sun, The Sunday Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail in Queensland, The Advertiser and The Sunday Mail in South Australia and The Sunday Times in Western Australia. Staff and outside service providers were questioned and interviewed in the process, News Corp. said. Retired judges Frank Vincent and Bernard Teague independently assessed the review's methodology and findings. Australia-based director Peter Barnes oversaw the process for News Corp.'s board's governance committee. Items as small as milk for tea rooms and as large as payments for editorial columnists and news wires were examined, validated and documented by the audit teams, News Corp. said. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Topics Rupert Murdoch News Corp. Phone Hacking Scandal

TNT Targets 'The Closer,' 'Rizzoli & Isles' Fans with Weekend Event Contest

NY - TNT, part of Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting unit, has became a member of with Hyatt Hotels to set up exactly what it calls the Armchair Detective Mystery Weekend concentrating on fans in the Closer and Rizzoli & Isles, the NY Occasions reported. The Two February weekends, being held at Hyatt Regency resorts in California and New Mexico, provides you with 50 individuals who win of contest an chance to resolve make-believe crimes. An online site need records through 12 ,. 31. The weekends are available in February and each requires 25 contest individuals who win in addition to their site visitors inside a Hyatt resort. "Our audiences have a real have to engage much deeper with this particular brands and our shows," Tricia Melton, senior v . p . of promoting for top spinner's, TNT and Turner Classic Movies, told the Occasions. The understanding to emulate the celebs of those two TNT series should really come with an audience segment that "at TNT we passionately call armchair detectives," she added. These audiences are women who have "an analytical inclination," she referred to, and "an authentic passion for fixing the instancesInch with the figures round the shows. TNT hopes that stars, authors and producers in the Closer and Rizzoli & Isles may play in the weekend occasions, the Occasions mentioned. The TNT promotion is an element from the trend that has seen systems take shows into real existence, just like a C.S.I.: The Understanding exhibit, the TCM Classic Cruise, being kept in December and backed with the Turner Classic Movies cable funnel, as well as the MythBusters: Behind the Myths Tour, an energetic event featuring the hosts in the Discovery series. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects TNT The Closer Rizzoli & Isles

Veterans for action

Alexander PayneBruce RobinsonLynne Ramsay Clint Eastwood births one film every year. Woodsy Allen is constantly pop them out like the Duggar family. And carrying out a three-year break, Steven Spielberg will deliver not merely one, but two pointing automobiles in the finish of December.Though some honours-season regulars are maintaining a plentiful pace, other decorated helmers -- Terrence Malick ("The Tree of Existence"), Alexander Payne ("The Descendants"), Lynne Ramsay ("We must Discuss Kevin"), Bennett Burns ("Moneyball") and Bruce Robinson ("The Rum Diary") incorporated within this -- stand out for your well-spread records inside their filmographies. Whether absence helps to make the heart grow fonder would depend round the talent.When Malick returned to action 2 decades after "Occasions of Paradise" (1978) with "The Thin Red-colored-colored Line," his status had opted beyond cult to legend, doubtlessly due in no small measure with a reclusiveness that can make J.D. Salinger proud. The finish result was an Academy that welcomed Malick to the fold, rewarding the enigmatic artist along with his initial few Oscar nominations, for writing and pointing.Even though six-year gap between Malick's "The Tree of Existence," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and also the previous pointing effort, "The " " New World " "," marks a somewhat rapid follow-up, gossips are actually swirling a great roots-of-the-world project mounted on Malick dating back to the eighties.For Payne, Ramsay and Burns, the area had much associated with aborted projects. Nine years passed between Ramsay's previous pointing effort, "Morvern Caller," and "Kevin," with numerous people years spent developing Alice Sebold's novel "The Lovely Bones." The Scottish author-director, who initially held the option on Sebold's dark drama read having a wiped out girl, began penning the script just before the author's manuscript was finished."I used to be on my own path while using script when the book increased being an worldwide best-seller," recalls Ramsay. "I quickly felt pressurized to produce a really literal translation, which i didn't think it could behave as a film, therefore i left the project."Jackson infamously needed on "Lovely Bones," which increased being an pricey CG-heavy adaptation, while Ramsay segued to "Kevin," a project that needed four years and was nearly derailed when the film's budget was slashed from $12 million to $6.5 million due to the world recession."It absolutely was very complicated to produce on less money since it spanned over 17 years with four versions of Kevin in the baby with a teen," notes Ramsay in the film, which concentrates on mother from the teenage boy who embarks around the high-school killing spree. "I desired to operate for the bone and be inventive and economical making it work. The film was prepared in a inch of the existence after we had only four weeks to shoot with costume changes and limited several hours with children." Variety referred to as film "exquisitely recognized" at Cannes.Similarly, Burns got taken on the project that was eventually shelved. After his effective collaboration with Philip Seymour Hoffman on "Capote" in 2005 the two began developing "Foxcatcher," a film about troubled scion John du Pont."I really could not suppose it was not likely to occur,Inch states Burns, who spent a long time round the pic before conceding defeat. "It absolutely was a genuine find it hard to find something worthy but that could go for started.InchThe next project, "Moneyball," touts the finest score on Metacritic.com, 87, of current releases.Payne spent many of the six years since the relieve "Sideways" -- which received five Oscar nominations plus a screenwriting statuette for Payne -- coping with his Ad Hominem partners Jim Taylor and Jim Burke round the epic "Downsizing," that involves a lesser-on-his-luck guy who decides he could have a better existence if he undergoes a process to contract themselves."Thinking about the truth that creating 'Downsizing' can be a animal, I coaxed (Payne) into doing 'Descendants,' " states the film's producer Burke, who optioned the manuscript for "Descendants" five years ago. "I probably asked for him 40 occasions. But he needed to locate their very own personal link to the material.InchAs soon as Payne did, the film was cast and began shooting within several days. At Telluride, where it opened up in September, the film's right-to-die written content was known to by Variety as handled "together with your sensitivity it's hardly noticeable you're being enlightened while entertained."Though "Tree of Existence" showed up in the bigscreen faster when compared to a typical Malick outing, the director remains collecting images for your film for more than ten years. The primary one-time Durch professor consulted with world-famous academics to know the science behind the expansion in the world, the film signifies."All along, Malick was searching for the Tao, that completely unpredicted phenomena, people magical unforeseen moments that nobody might design," states effects maven Douglas Trumbull ("2001: A Place Journey"), with whom Malick consulted.Meanwhile, Robinson's 20-year hiatus is due to the fact he outdated from pointing. Robinson was coaxed through the Actor-kaira Pitt -- a massive fan of Robinson's sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll saga "Withnail which iInch and also the very satiric "Methods for getting Ahead in Advertising" -- revisit write and helm "Rum Diary," based on Hunter S. Thompson's novel."These two films destroyed me," Depp told the L.A. Occasions recently, adding he felt Robinson's penchant for "huge humor and absurdity" was a perfect match for just about any work that foreshadows Thompson's ground-breaking gonzo style.Biggest for just about any film's extended pregnancy, as Orson Welles once suggested while shilling for Paul Masson, "no wine prior to it being time.Inch And this is one way Burns sights "Foxcatcher," they hopes to resurrect: "I never consider time spent developing a film as time lost."EYE Round The Oscars: BEST PICTURE PREVIEWReading the voters' minds Spinning history to complement the needs of drama Veterans for action Beyond the boardsAWARDS SEASON CALENDARNovember December The month of the month of january February Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Vidgame advertisements use live action

'The Elder Skrolls V: Skyrim'Fall for videogame marketers is much like summer time for Hollywood galleries -- a season of blockbusters based on massive marketing campaigns. Yet with each game competing for attention, getting observed is harder than ever before. This is exactly why it will help to employ a dragon-slayer. For Bethesda Softworks' fantasy game "The Elder Skrolls V: Skyrim," out November. 11, the organization chose to make a live action commercial where a warrior, with harsh determination, comfortably walks past throngs of panicked citizens of the medieval village to battle a dragon that's menacing them.Helmed by Alexei Tylevich, the place is unusual for a game title release: most advertisements typically feature CG-animated sequences edited around shots of game play.But Bethesda worried that type of ad would explore the clutter of other videogame advertisements. In the end, the overall game is facing off against heavyweight game titles for example Activision's "Cod: Modern Warfare 3," EA's "Battleground 3," WB's "Batman: Arkham City" and Sony's "Uncharted 3" that boast bigger marketing budgets. Bethesda will still unveil a classical ad nearer to the game's launch, however the live action place was created like a "mood piece" that taken the motion picture facets of the overall game that will play well on television and rapidly "catch your attention," states Pete Hines, Bethesda's Vice president of selling and communications.The scope from the ad certainly does. Lensed at Prague's Barrandov Galleries over 72 hours, the development involved a lot more than 100 extra supplies and eight stuntmen. Commercial house Logan (that has produced advertisements for Apple, Toyota along with other game franchises like "Metal Gear," in addition to "Zombieland's" opening credits), created the "Skyrim" place and also the digital dragon.Although Bethesda rejected to reveal your budget from the ad, the place ended up costing comparable, otherwise rather less, than the usual commercial heavy on CG-animated sequences, the organization states. It's 60-, 30- and 20-second versions airing.Your time and effort has compensated off when it comes to buzz. Because the "Skyrim" place began airing on television an internet-based, the interest it's produced across internet sites and Twitter has surprised Bethesda. It's been seen nearly a million occasions online since March. 24.Online chatter has in comparison the ad's design using the second season of HBO's "Bet on Thrones." "If people state that appears like 'Game of Thrones,' we are in the best place when it comes to mood and vibe and tone," Hines states. "In the event that's the sense we are departing, this is a positive thing instead of, 'That should be for any newer and more effective videogame,'?" a stress response which frequently plagues other game campaigns.Bethesda is hardly the very first gamemaker to make use of shot footage to assist sell its games. The new sony presently includes a memorable ad featuring live action versions of figures from the Ps franchises collected inside a bar, while Microsoft introduced its "Halo: Achieve" and "Halo 3" campaigns to existence with short films that target the figures, plot and styles from the games they are marketing.Bethesda really wants to stress individuals same elements in the live action place, wishing auds will themselves because the hero fighting dragons. "Individuals are searching for different methods for getting their message across instead of thirty seconds of footage from the overall game, a logo design along with a box shot," Hines states. "If everyone's doing that, you must do different things.Inch Contact Marc Graser at marc.graser@variety.com

Carrie Fisher: I Didnt Have A Facelift!

First Published: November 3, 2011 5:00 PM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Carrie Fisher stops by Access Hollywood Live on November 3, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Back in August, Carrie Fisher revealed that she dropped 50 pounds, but the actress/author says she has not gone under the knife for a facelift as rumored online. I read that I had a facelift! Carrie told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover on Thursdays Access Hollywood Live. Did you? Kit asked. No, the 55-year-old, whose new book, Shockaholic, is now in bookstores, continued. However, the actress did reveal shes had some work done on her lips, but not implants. I dont want to get those lip things, but I had my lip lines removed, so thats why it looks like that, she said, referring to her lips new look. Carrie also got candid about her use of electroconvulsive therapy, which she also details in her book. I benefited from it, she said, explaining she uses it to treat depression. You go in in the morning, they put you to sleep for like 10 minutes. Theres a medication they give so there are no convulsions any longer, she continued. Though the treatment might seem intense, according to Carrie, the side effects are minimal. Then you have a tiny bit of a headache when youre awake and you take a nap and its over, she said. For more with Carrie, including details on her relationship with friend Michael Jackson and step-mom Elizabeth Taylor, CLICK HERE! Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

South usa: Indies use local photos

'Bruna Surfistinha'With the collapse in the homevideo DVD market, local indie distribs are progressively adopting the distribution of Brazilian photos to have the ability to settle the debts.The whole B.O. in South usa showed up at 1.1 billion real ($627 million) inside the The month of the month of january-September period, up 19% within the same period a year ago. But indie distribs have a very small slice from the market that's centered by Hollywood.Meanwhile, this past year the federal government launched the Sector Fund incentive, and among its aims to stimulate local indie distribs to distribute Brazilian photos. Inside the 2009-11 period of time, indie distribs have acquired $34.7 million to buy equity in local photos and distribute them."November the DVD market represented a substantial blow for your distribution of independent films in South usa," states Marcio Fraccaroli, general director of local indie distrib Paris Filmes. "Since the art galleries rule the theatrical market, we required to seek an option to live. Due to the Sector Fund, we learned that option inside the distribution of Brazilian films."All top three indies photos this season are Brazilian and were compiled by residents: "P pernas professional ar" (Upside Lower), handled with each other by Downtown/Paris distribution "Cilada.com," distribbed with each other by Downtown/Paris/RioFilme and "Bruna Surfistinha" handled with each other by Imagem/RioFilme.No matter the unfavorable market, will still be easy to create a nice earnings while using distribution of foreign indie photos in South usa. For instance, Paris, which since 2007 posseses an output deal with Summit Entertainment, has are earning profit the 3 obligations in the "Twilight" films. General director Marcio Fraccaroli states Paris Filmes will open "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 1" November. 18 on 1,100 screens here -- the greatest theatrical release ever in South usa. Film appeared to become partially shot in South usa."We plan to sell over 7 million tickets making 'Breaking Dawn' the film while using finest B.O. this year in South usa. Nevertheless the 'Twilight Saga' is really the very best in this market," Fraccaroli states.Meanwhile, several local production companies launched Nossa, an indie distrib by getting an alternate enterprize model, in October. Nossa provides you with distribution services for just about any fixed fee, and producers will have to cover P&A costs. But, once the release works well, producer will pocket nearly all increases. Under this model, producer holds pics' rights along with other home home windows.Nossa was created by helmer Jose Padilha, good impressive distribution of "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within" this season, when Padilha's Zazen shingle hired vet distributor professional Marco Aurelio Marcondes to produce the pic, which increased being finest-grossing Brazilian pic ever.Volume of screens: 2,314Number of 3d screens: 467Top indie distribs and B.O. using the first half of 2011: Imagem ($38.4 million) Paris ($20.5 million) Downtown/Paris joint distribution ($15.8 million) Playarte ($6.7 million) Imovision ($3 million)Typical gross split for theatrical between distribs and exhibs: 50/50Top exhibition chains for indie films: Espaco p Cinema screens a myriad of photos, but focuses on foreign and native indie photos. It's Brazil's fifth greatest exhibitor, and contains 21 plexes with 90 screens, which signifies 4% in the country's screens. Grupo Estacao has nine multiplexes with 24 screens in Rio.5 top indie films: "P pernas professional ar" (Upside Lower), Downtown/Paris ($17.9 million) "Cilada.com," Downtown/Paris/RioFilme ($16.millions of) "Bruna Surfistinha," Imagem/RioFilme ($11.4 million) "Gnomeo and Juliet," Imagem ($7.8 million) "Season in the Witch," Imagem ($7.7 million)Approaching indie pick-ups: "Beneath the Hawthorn Tree" (Serendip Filmes/ Art Films): "Sarah's Key" (Imagem) "The Truly Amazing Physician" (Playarte) "Late Bloomers" (Serendip Filmes/Art Films) "The Skin Home IsInch (Paris) Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Skyfall Confirmed As Title Of Latest Bond Movie Budget Around $230M Mike Mendes States Hes Open To Follow-up

Shooting round the latest Jason Bourne movie starts Monday, Difficulties revealed as of this morning press conference for Skyfall, the 23rd 007 movie. Producer Michael G Wilson scotched Uk tabloid whispers the program which are more recent Bond film remains slashed by $100 million. Were inside the same budget range since the last film. We havent required to change anything inside the script. Really, we keep adding things everything will most likely be much like it absolutely was, he mentioned. Director Mike Mendes also declined he was developing a downbeat Bond with less action sequences. He'd be pointing action sequences themselves. You will notice plenty of surprises, Mendes guaranteed. The knowledge should be balanced while using drama. Mendes mentioned he was open to pointing another Bond installment, essentially still believe its as enjoyable in 6 several days time then the answer then is yes. Mendes, Broccoli while others were giving little away as of this morning presser: In Skyfall, Bonds loyalty to M is examined as her past returns to haunt her MI6 comes under attack, and Bond have to get and destroy the threat. While verifying Deadline’s scoop that Javier Bardem would play in the villain, Mendes was coy whether Bardem might be playing Blofeld, as film author John Logan has recommended. What's known is always that Skyfall will probably be mostly shot mostly around Whitehall, London (the us government district), Scotland, Istanbul and China. Eon Productions used today event to unveil latest Bond girl Brnice Marlohe, playing a personality referred to as Severine. Other cast people confirmed include Albert Finney, Take advantage of Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris, playing a secret agent named Eve. The brand new the new sony will release Skyfall within the U . s . States on November 9 2012, following its Uk/Ireland premiere on October 26. The Academy Award-winning director mentioned he preferred to complete Bond because hed been a follower since prone to see Live and Let Die inside the cinema. Plus I believed that Daniel playing Bond opened up up up a number of fantastic options for your character, he mentioned. Broccoli wouldn't discuss speculation that Brit pop star Adele will sing the theme song: Weve been considering various people for your theme tune, she mentioned. Mendes added that Skyfall wasn't a continuation in the previous 2 Bond activities, that have a running story. Broccoli also states Difficulties might be playing Bond not under once again. Personally I cant help but feel Skyfall can be a lame title for just about any Jason Bourne movie even Everything Reely, a Jason Bourne videogame title might be better.