Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe Do Tree of Life-Lite in Delayed Fireflies in the Garden

If Sean Penn didn’t love the abstract narrative Terrence Malick employed in Tree of Life, maybe he’ll dig the pretty-similar, much more conventional stuff in the long-delayed Fireflies in the Garden — a Tree of Life Lite starring Ryan Reynolds as a middle-aged man who returns to his Texas childhood home to deal with his strained relationship with his stern father (Willem Dafoe). Period flashbacks, memories of an angelic mother (Julia Roberts), and a pivotal death that inspires exploration into deep emotional scars? The only things missing are the cosmic clouds of particles laden with meaning. Would Penn approve? OK, fine. There are more differences between Fireflies in the Garden and Tree of Life than just the half hour of mesmerizingly pretentious art-swirls that turned all but the most dedicated art snobs off of Malick’s film. Like surly Ryan Reynolds, who’s still contractually obligated to crack jokes in this movie; at least they’re of the douchey-sarcastic type. And Julia Roberts in old lady makeup! Yeah… I’ll take Jessica Chastain as my small-town Texas mother-angel instead. VERDICT: See it if you didn’t get Tree of Life. [via Yahoo!]

Hurricane Irene Blowing Away Box Office: Business Is In The Crapper Right Now

Theater chains are closing, location counts are dropping, and major releases are finding cover as Hurricane Irene prepares to come ashore along the Eastern Seaboard starting in North Carolina and heading due north.”Landing Saturday night in New York? Couldn’t be much worse,” one studio exec complained to me. Said another, “Business is in the crapper right now. Any way you slice it business is getting creamed this weekend.” There’s no doubt that the state of emergencydeclared across the East Coast from North Carolina to Massachusettsbecause of the storm which is already bigger than the size of Europecould depress box office by 10%, 20%, or more. Considering that this weekend’s opening movies were only expected todebut in the $8M to $10M range even in fair weather, studios and distributorshave a Mother Nature excuse when their films underperform between only $6M to $8M at the North American box office. (So I can’t humiliate them. Drats!) I’ve just learned that AMC which operates the Empire 25 in NYC’s Times Square — the top grossing theater in the country — is closing all New Jersey theaters Saturday at 6:00 PM for the weekend as well as a bunch in states like New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. Regal is leaving it up to individual managers to make the call unless otherwise instructed by local authorities but Hollywood distributors expect them to follow suit. Clearview Cinemas already announced all theaters are closed for Saturday and Sunday. Out of concern for the safety of our guests and staff, all Clearview Cinemas will be closed on Saturday August 27 and Sunday August 28. We plan to reopen on Monday August 29. Wishing you and your family a very safe weekend, read a statement on the circuits website. Already my sources say DreamWorks/Disney’s The Help is a lock again for #1with an estimated $11M as the bestselling book-turned-pic enters its 3.5th week. As for the rest of the Top 5, it’s a free-for-all.New releases fighting it outareFilmDistrict’s Guillermo del Toro-produced horror movie Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce originally booked into 2,760 theaters,The Weinstein Co’s raunchy R-rated comedyOur Idiot Brother showcasing Paul Rudd surrounded by Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer originally booked into 2,555 theaters, andSony Pictures/TriStar’s Luc Besson-produced and co-writtenactionerColombiana starring Zoe Saldana originally booked into 2,614 theaters.

New York Fringe cancels shows

In one of the first definite legit cancellations of the upcoming weekend, the head of the New York Intl. Fringe Festival has preemptively darkened all fest shows skedded for Sunday, and also nixed the awards ceremony previously set for Sunday evening, in advance of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irene. Severe weather remains on track to hit Gotham late Saturday, with rain, wind gusts and flooding potentially harrying the city through much of the day Sunday. "Due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene, we have decided to cancel all FringeNYC events on Sunday, August 28th," said Fringe topper Elena K. Holy in statement. "All ticket purchases have already been refunded in full. The FringeNYC Closing Night Party scheduled for Sunday, August 28th has also been canceled. Awards will be announced online instead." Though it remains uncertain how severe the storm will be when it hits New York, city leaders have made a major public push urging residents to be prepared. Evacuation of hospitals and nursing homes in low-lying areas had already begun Friday, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority warned that mass transit could be shut down as soon as Saturday afternoon. For now, all Broadway productions remain on track to play all scheduled performances this weekend. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Kim Kardashian Wedding: How the Media Covered

At least one observer has likened Kim Kardashian's wedding to NBA player Kris Humphries to the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.our editor recommendsKim Kardashian Wedding: The Hollywood Insiders Who Attended Kim Kardashian First Wedding Footage Hits the Internet (Video)Kim Kardashian-Kris Humphries Wedding Photos Sell for $1.5 MillionCriticisms About Kim Kardashian Wedding SurfaceKim Kardashian Wedding Guests: What Attendees Are Saying About the Big DayKim Kardashian Expresses Happiness on Wedding Day, Thanks Fans for Their Support While that might be overstating it a bit, the TV networks and entertainment magazines are making a big deal of the ceremony, which took place Saturday. PHOTOS: Inside Kardashians Inc. Perhaps the TV outlet covering this event the most is E! Entertainment, which was the only media company allowed to have video cameras inside, thanks to a lucrative deal with the couple. The network gave viewers a sneak peek of what's to come in its October special, Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event, in an E! News report that aired over the weekend. Online, the network has a special package devoted to the wedding, featuring reports on everything from Kardashian's day-of preparations to the personalized party favors the guests took home. E! News promos for Monday's show also are focusing on coverage of the wedding. In addition, E!'s The Soup, hosted by Joel McHale, also is featuring quips about the wedding in its promos for Friday's show. Meanwhile, the syndicated entertainment newsmagazines -- Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Access Hollywood andExtra -- all featured their wedding coverage prominently on their homepages, and the story is likely to dominate Monday's shows. STORY: The Business Behind Kim Kardashian's TV Wedding On Sunday, their sites all featured a slew of Kardashian-related content, and not just about the ceremony itself. Access Hollywood, for example, features a poll asking viewers whether they will watch the E! wedding special and a gallery titled "The Many Men of Kim." Inside Edition -- which has a broader focus than the other shows -- does have content on its website about the wedding but makes no mention of it in its promo for Monday's show. The broadcast networks' morning shows also are covering the ceremony. NBC News' Today got a jump on the coverage by airing a recap of the event Sunday. In his intro of the piece, reported by Michelle Franzen, Today's Lester Holt mistakenly called Humphries "Ryan." He then noted that the ceremony was an "essentially made-for-TV celebration." During the report, Franzen notes the star-studded guest list, interviews staffers from Us Weekly and People and asks the question whether the marriage was "real or for reality TV." VIDEO: Kim Kardashian First Wedding Footage Hits the Internet ABC News' Good Morning America also recapped the event on its Sunday morning broadcast, with a People editor discussing the various dresses worn by Kardashian along with the celebrity guest list. (As The Hollywood Reporter previously reported, People paid $1.5 million for exclusive rights to the photos.) The show also has posted several videos on its website related to the ceremony. One of them, titled "Kim Kardashian Ties the Knot," is sandwiched between "Gary Giordano Taken for More Questioning" and "Baby Tigers at the Bali Zoo" on GMA's homepage. Of the three broadcast networks' news divisions, CBS News was the only one not featuring anything about the Kardashian wedding prominently on its homepage Sunday. But a site search revealed that the network did send a crew to talk to the fans staked out outside the wedding venue -- a private 11-acre estate in Montecito, Calif. -- and cover the celebrity arrivals. CBS News also interviewed a local who was hoping to get a last-minute invite by posting homemade signs along the street. STORY: Kim Kardashian Wedding Backlash Lights Up Twitter CNN also sent a crew to the event site, with reporter Kareen Wynter filing from Montecito. Her report focused on what the bride wore, the reported costs of the event and the heavy security surrounding the "extravagant affair." But fellow cable news channel Fox News hasn't posted any videos from the event. In fact, the only coverage on its site comes from the Associated Press. In addition to the coverage, several outlets had representatives as invited guests: E! News' Ryan Seacrest, GMA's Lara Spencer and Today's Kathie Lee Gifford were among those attending the ceremony. Locally, Los Angeles' KTLA devoted a special section on its website, and the station included a report about the wedding in its Saturday night broadcast. But KTLA didn't send a reporter to Montecito, choosing instead to get reactions from people in L.A., including radio DJ Ellen K, who co-hosts On Air With Ryan Seacrest. Related Topics Kim Kardashian

8 Noms In Worldwide Emmys For News

Two TV productions from South america are probably the eight nomineesfor the 2010 Worldwide Emmy Honours for current matters and news. Theyare Discovery Systems Latin America's The Murder of Jean Charles Meneses, concerning the fatal shooting of the Brazilian immigrant mistaken for any suicide bomber working in london, and TV Globo's Jornal Nactional: Fight against Drugs, which detailed a raid on the drug dealer's stronghold. Also out there,The united kingdom's Sky News Live at Five: Within the Taliban gained a nom, as did Back in the Edge: Within the Chilean Mine Disaster, from Japan Broadcasting Corp's NHK. The those who win is going to be introduced Sept. 28 in New You are able to.

David Bohrman Named Current TV President

Following last month's executive shakeup at Current TV, in which CEO Mark Rosenthal abruptly resigned and was replaced by co-founder Joel Hyatt, the fledgling cable network has hired veteran news executive David Bohrman as president. Bohrman, who starts immediately, will be based in New York and San Francisco and will oversee programming, production, broadcast operations, digital and technology, working closely with co-founders Hyatt and Al Gore as well as Current's Chief News Officer Keith Olbermann, the network says. Currents mission has always been to shine a light on important issues, to spark debate and to speak truth to power," Gore said. David Bohrman passionately shares our vision. He has innovation in his DNA, and he has the unique qualifications and relationships to take Current to a whole new level in programming and production. For the past decade, Bohrman was CNNs SVP of programming and Washington, DC bureau chief, and in May of this year, he became CNNs SVP and Chief Innovation Officer Worldwide. Before that, he executive produced NBC News special news events from 1993-1997 and was part of MSNBCs launch team, where he created The Site and Imus in the Morning. For 13 years before that, Bohrman was at ABC News where he was a senior producer and part of the launch team of Nightline and executive producer World News Now.