The Morning Fix: Tony, Ridley Scott looking at MGM? Glenn Beck’s cash machine. Desperate divas and Marc Cherry.
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After the coffee. Before deciding whether to shave today.
To the rescue? Brothers Ridley and Tony Scott have emerged as surprise bidders for Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, having submitted a plan to restructure the studio, according to the Financial Times. MGM’s creditors have hit the pause button on an auction after bids were lower than hoped. Meanwhile there is also a push inside MGM to not sell and bring in yet another management team that could include Paramount big shot Jon Dolgen or Spyglass chief Roger Birnbaum.
Between the brothers. While everyone knows about Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the founders of Miramax who want nothing more than to get the company back from Disney, less is known about the other set of brothers bidding on the asset -- Tom and Alec Gores. Vulture looks at those two and the other brother, Paradigm agency chief Sam Gores. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter looks at the Miramax library and why the bids are what they are.
Katzenberg talks. DreamWorks animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg talks to Variety about the dangers of exploiting 3-D, rips the conversion of ‘Clash of the Titans’ and warns of a backlash against the technology if Hollywood doesn’t play it right.
Cue the tears, count the cash. Forbes takes a look inside the wallet of Fox News personality Glenn Beck and finds that he has ‘managed to monetize virtually everything that comes out of his mouth.’ Writer Lacey Rose looks inside Glenn Beck Inc., which grossed $32 million last year.
Desperate drama. The Daily Beast digs into the drama behind-the-scenes at ABC’s ‘Desperate Housewives’ in the wake of former star Nicollette Sheridan’s suit against ABC Studios and executive producer Marc Cherry. Lots of ex-writers (none on the record, of course) reveal that Cherry is very mercurial and can be tough to work for but that the cast is no prize either. Guess I’m just surprised that after all these years that a) the cast can’t just agree to tolerate each other and ride this gravy train out to the end and b) that anyone still cares about this show.
Phew. Good news. You can avoid talking to family in the early evening for another four years as game shows ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy’ have been renewed by the ABC owned stations. No doubt the price ABC paid for the shows dropped. Details from the Wrap.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: NBC.com wants to figure out what you’ll watch. ‘Date Night’ is poised for a big opening weekend at the box office. The Los Angeles Film Festival is leaving Westwood for downtown!
-- Joe Flint Follow me on Twitter.