‘Avengers’ Cast And Stingy Marvel Ready To Rumble Over Sequel Cash & Strong-Arming

By NIKKI FINKE

Robert Downey Jr is set for another huge payday from a mega-hit Marvel movie, this time Iron Man 3. I’ve learned he’s already made $35 million from the actioner, which grossed $680 million worldwide in its first 12 days. He should exceed his biggest payday to date — that $50M from The Avengers which I’ve learned was more like $70M-$80M now that the film is all in. But it’s really Avengers 2 where he’ll clean up big-time — if he wants to reprise the role. He’s hinting to some media it may be time to retire Tony Stark. And saying to other outlets that Marvel better show him more money for Avengers 2. ”I don’t know,” he said on The Daily Show. ”I had a long contract with them and now we’re gonna renegotiate.” (“You are Iron Man! You are!” cheered Jon Stewart.)

I’ve learned that Marvel and therefore owner Disney are going to run into big trouble on that sequel because the upfront pay, backend compensation, break-even points and box office bonuses aren’t pinned down yet for several big stars and castmates. This is major hurdle that Walt Disney Co Chaiman/CEO Bob Iger hasn’t even mentioned to Wall Street or shareholders though he’s already been hyping Avengers 2 for more than a year now.


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Time unveils its 100 Most Influential People list

Ann Oldenburg

It’s time for the Time 100, Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

For the first time, the issue, unveiled today and hitting newsstands Friday, features seven separate covers, each featuring a member of the list. Jennifer Lawrence, Jay-Z, Elon Musk (CEO and founder, SpaceX; co-founder, Tesla Motors and PayPal), Sen. Rand Paul and teen activist Malala Yousafzai each appear solo on the five domestic split covers. Internationally, Li Na and Aamir Khan are also featured along with some of the U.S. covers.

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Hammond On Roger Ebert – An Appreciation

By PETE HAMMOND

Certainly Roger Ebert will be remembered for many things. Winning an unprecedented Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for film criticism is just one of them. For me, though, beyond that distinction Roger was far more unique in the pantheon of the truly great critics of our time, and all time. Along with Gene Siskel he figured out a way to take film criticism to the masses in a way it never really had been, at least on a national basis. With their patented ’2 Thumbs Up’ and ’2 Thumbs Down’ reviews on their pioneering PBS and later syndicated weekly TV show, this pair not only brought the job of a film critic into the national consciousness, they also made it fun. And accessible. The ‘thumbs’ signature was really the forerunner of a site like Rotten Tomatoes, an instantly recognizable label that moviegoers could use like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval when it appeared in an ad as it did hundreds of times.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mentor Joe Weider Dies

By Megan Garvey

Joe Weider, who made millions from a fitness empire and mentored a young Austrian bodybuilder who went on to become a major movie star and governor of California, has died.

Weider, 93, passed away Saturday of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, according to a news release. The multimillion-dollar publishing empire he built included Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Shape, and Men’s Fitness magazines.

His death was marked by his protege Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called Weider “the godfather of fitness.”

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Bear Grylls making competition series for NBC

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Bear Grylls will soon have some company on his in-the-wild adventures.

NBC said Monday that it is making a competition series with Grylls. He is the former star of Discovery’s “Man vs. Wild” series that tested his survival skills in foreboding settings

The NBC series, “Get Out Alive,” is planned for airing next summer. In it, Grylls will guide two teams in adventures. He says competitors will learn survival skills and teamwork but will have to suffer some pain before being rewarded in the end.

Grylls is co-producing the series with Electus, the studio run by former NBC entertainment chief Ben Silverman.

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Henry Cavill Speaks On The Pressure Of Playing The Man Of Steel

Andrew Dyce

Every little boy dreams of being him, and every grown man, well…some things never change. The chance to actually play Superman on film is an honor bestowed upon few in history, and Henry Cavill is aware of just how many doors can be opened should Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel reboot be a success.

Great opportunities come at the cost of great risks, and Cavill is all too aware of just how many people could be let down if his performance as the Man of Steel is found lacking. With all that pressure on his all-too-human shoulders, Cavill is focusing on his own concerns for the film, not those of comic book fandom.
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‘American Idol’s’ Jessica Sanchez and DeAndre Brackensick Dating

Love is in the air as an “American Idol” tour romance blossoms for the season 11 finalists.

by Michele Amabile Angermiller

Young love is blooming on the American Idol summer tour.

Season 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez giddily teased her fans with her news via a UStream chat Thursday that she has a new man in her life: fellow Idol DeAndre Brackensick.

“I got a secret and I want you guys to guess. I’ll nod if it’s no or yes,” said Sanchez.

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‘Dark Knight Rises’ Producer: Nolan Will Never Direct Batman Again

by Ethan Anderton

It’s pretty bold to say that something will never happen whether you’re talking about something as simple as eating meat or making a movie. But in the case of The Dark Knight Rises producer Emma Thomas, who is also the wife of Christopher Nolan, we’re inclined to believe her statement that the filmmaker will never be in the director’s chair of another Batman film following the conclusion of his trilogy. In an interview with SFX Magzine (via Movies.com), Thomas was asked of the possibility of Nolan returning to the universe of the Caped Crusader and she definitively said, “No, never. No, that’s truly a never.”

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‘The Good Wife’ Leaves for Vacation

By Richard Lawson | The Atlantic Wire

The Good Wife (CBS)

The days grow longer and the weather (for the most part) warmer, and tomorrow is May, which means the sweet, sweet easy times of summer are soon upon us. This is, for the most part, great news. But there is one terrible thing happening as everything else gets good: TV shows are ending. Yes, network seasons are wrapping up, meaning soon there will be so little to watch. For example, The Good Wife, smart sudsy show that it is, ended its third season last night. We’re gonna miss it!

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