The Morning Fix: ‘Lone Ranger’ may still ride. ‘Spy Kids 4’ will smell.
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After the coffee. Before the flight to D.C. to try out for the Redskins.
The Skinny: This edition of the Morning Fix is smaller than usual. I had to get out early this morning to the airport. Hope I’m not sitting next to Gerard Depardieu. This morning’s headlines include an update on the fate of Disney’s movie version of ‘The Lone Ranger’ and Warner Bros. TV chief Bruce Rosenblum looking to add to his resume. Also, has Conan O’Brien’s move to TBS been a bust?
Saddle up. Last week, the film crew building a Western town in New Mexico for the upcoming production of Disney’s ‘The Lone Ranger’ movie, was told to tear it down. Now they’ve been told: Not so fast. Holding off on gutting the set may mean that Disney is trying to find a middle ground in its battle with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski over the budget for the movie, which stars Johnny Depp. The latest from the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter.
That’ll look good on the resume. Bruce Rosenblum, the television head at Warner Bros. and one of the highest-ranking executives at the studio, has thrown his hat in the ring to become chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. ATAS, as it is known, is the group that oversees the prime-time Emmy Awards telecast among other things. Rosenblum tells Variety that it is important that ATAS ‘maintain its heritage of excellence and at the same time become more relevant and influential.’
Shouldn’t we see how Whitney Cummings’ show does first? It’s development season for the broadcast networks, and a bidding war is on for a new project starring comedian Sarah Silverman. Yes, the same Silverman whose previous show was canceled by Comedy Central because of a low ratings. I’m a fan of Silverman but given that NBC is about a launch a show with comedian Whitney Cummings that sounds very similar to what is being pitched for Silverman, why not wait to see what the appetite is for raunchy brunette comedians first? Deadline Hollywood has the details.
Conan’s blues. The Wall Street Journal has a harsh assessment of late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien’s first year on cable channel TBS after he was dumped by NBC. Saying the move to hire the lanky comedian is ‘flopping,’ the article notes that despite the addition of O’Brien, TBS’s ratings among the coveted adult 18-49 audience are off more than 10% from a year ago. Something tells me former NBC chief Jeff Zucker will be hanging this article on his office wall.
Stuck whistle. Robert Emmel, a former executive at News Corp.’s marketing unit News America, found out the hard way what happens when you go against the company. The Guardian on the tough times faced by a News Corp. whistle blower. Meanwhile, Forbes Magazine editor-in-chief Steve Forbes tells News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch that the sun will come out tomorrow.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Seeing ‘Spy Kids 4’ will be a smelly experience. A preview of Disney’s D23 Expo fan event.
-- Joe Flint
Follow me on Twitter and I’ll tweet at you from the plane! Twitter.com/JBFlint
