Insiders: Exec shuffles

NBCUniversal has tapped Morgan Stanley's Stuart Epstein as chief financial officer, reporting to CEO Steve Burke. Epstein had been managing director of Morgan Stanley and global head of the firm's media and communications group. He has also been a strategic adviser to NBCU parent Comcast Corp.Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution has promoted Cristina Mancini to senior veep of worldwide marketing. She's been with the studio since 2001.Suzy Berkowitz Weksel has joined Sundance Channel as senior veep of public relations. She comes to the AMC Networks cabler from Entertainment Weekly, where she was senior director of PR.Juma Entertainment has appointed Peter DeVita as chief operating officer and head of its new office in Gotham. DeVita joins the production company after spending 14 years at IMG Worldwide.Jamie French has been named veep of communications for Style. French moves to the NBCUniversal-owned cabler after serving as senior director of publicity for NBC.Jon Ferro has joined Entertainment One as senior VP of U.S. program sales. Ferro was previously Lionsgate's exec VP of digital and on-demand. EOne has also tapped producer Armand Leo as veep of production affairs, based in Toronto.Nina Scales has joined Hasbro Studios as senior sales director for its international distribution unit, based in London. She had been head of marketing for Tinopolis' Sunset+Vine production unit.Spike TV has promoted Diana Marseille to veep of media planning. She joined the cabler in 2005 from ABC. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Transformers 3 Full Movie

Film Fest Marks Terror Attacks That Stranded Stars

TORONTO (AP) The Sept. 11 attacks left lots of Hollywood types stranded north from the border in the Toronto Worldwide Film Festival. This season, coordinators have created a brief film to mark the tenth anniversary from the tragedy.The 4-minute film featuring memories from festival bosses and filmmakers can have before every screening Sunday, the ten-year anniversary from the attacks. The video clip will run instead of the sponsor reels that always precede festival tests."It looks back on which which was like, this very strange atmosphere of the film festival that's about honoring art and getting fun, then to possess this terrible event happen tomorrow,Inch stated festival co-director Cameron Bailey.Also marking the anniversary may be the Paul McCartney documentary "The Romance We Make," which stories the first kind Beatle's formulations for any memorial concert in New You are able to City per month following the attacks. McCartney have been on the plane at New York's JFK airport terminal waiting to fly to London once the attacks happened, and in the tarmac, he often see smoke billowing from the World Trade Center towers.Premiering Friday, each day before it starts airing on Showtime, the film features footage of McCartney practicing such Beatles hits as "Yesterday" and "Allow It To Be" and interview segments by which he recalls how his parents' generation depended on music to cope with the adversity of The Second World War.The festival shut lower for that relaxation from the next day of the attacks, eliminating all films along with other occasions. Stars and filmmakers in Toronto to advertise their movies abandoned their interview agendas, holing up within their suites to look at this news on television or milling regarding their luxury hotels to talk about information and commiserate with individuals looking to get word from family members in New You are able to City.Coordinators considered calling from the relaxation from the festival, that was only midway through and scheduled to operate five more days with the following weekend. However they felt it might be best to continue, yet inside a subdued manner."We made the decision we'd continue the festival, but continue in an exceedingly different type of way," stated festival director Piers Handling. "We rolled away the red-colored carpets, canceled the parties, canceled the sponsor bulletins. We required the hanging out from it.InchWith planes grounded for the days and also the U.S.-Canadian border closed on / off following the attacks, stars, filmmakers, studio professionals yet others in the festival needed to make alternative travel plans. They leased cars and chartered buses to obtain home, while some who had films playing the other half from the festival never managed to get to Toronto.Canadian actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley, who lives in Toronto, was in the festival in 2001 having a video clip she directed. Following the attacks, she pitched in to alleviate the spirits of some people stranded in Toronto."We'd over all the People in america we understood, my buddy and that i, to possess dinner and become together and spend time watching TV, because everybody was type of alone in rooms in hotels and losing it,Inch stated Polley, who's in the festival again this time around with "Take This Waltz," the 2nd feature film she's directed.Tom Bernard, co-leader of The new sony Pictures Classics, immediately abandoned his festival plans and strategized how he might get the place to find New You are able to City."I known as Hertz, leased a vehicle with U.S. plates, purchased a Toronto Walnut Leafs T-shirt along with a hockey stick," stated Bernard, who figured he may have the ability to mix in to the U . s . States with an Indian reservation that straddles the border between Canada and New You are able to condition.It labored. The Customs agent saw his T-shirt, "requested me the way the Leafs used to do and allow me to through," Bernard stated. "You simply felt as if you needed to return. You have family, all of the people at work. It had been a poor time."Many Hollywood associates were in a press and industry screening of Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding" the morning of Sept. 11. They left of this wondrous, beneficial film right into a transformed world two hrs following the attacks happened, hearing the scream of emergency vehicle sirens as Toronto government bodies continued alert using the relaxation of The United States.Based on Bailey, within the festival's Sept. 11 video clip, Nair recollects how "Monsoon Wedding" was among the first to exhibit again when coordinators started again tests the next day of the attacks."The storyline she informs is when frightening it had been just to walk in on Sept. 12 thinking, is anybody extending its love to be there?" Bailey stated. "And actually, it had been packed. People just appeared to wish to get together."Copyright 2011 Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Cheers & Jeers: Sons of Anarchy There's a New Sheriff in Town

Rockmond Dunbar Cheers to Rockmond Dunbar for laying down the law on Sons of Anarchy. Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now! The SAMCRO motorcycle club had a free ride in Charming, Calif. as long as their old pal, police chief Wayne Unser (Dayton Callie), was in charge, but now he's retired and Dunbar's Deputy Sheriff Eli Roosevelt isn't about to roll over. Neither, apparently, will quirky new federal prosecutor Lincoln Potter, well-played by Deadwood vet Ray McKinnon. Dunbar is no stranger to solid roles on crime dramas, having stolen scenes as escaped convict C-Note on Prison Break as well as a detective on FX's sadly short-lived Terriers. With hard-headed Eli on their case, Clay and the gang may face their biggest challenge yet surviving the Roosevelt administration. Are you revved up for Sons of Anarchy's new season? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Alicia Silverstone's 'Vamps' Poster: 'Nice Women Suck'

Not so long ago, "Unaware" rated towards the top of my listing of all-time favorite guilty pleasure movies. Not any longer, though nowadays, Personally i think zero guilt during my fascination with Cher's amusing misadventures wading with the senior high school drama of Beverly Hillsides. (Quite simply: no, Serta Hedaya, I won't get free from your chair.) So, it's reliable advice that I am pretty excited to determine the reunion between "Unaware" star Alicia Silverstone and director Amy Heckerling in "Vamps," a supernatural romantic comedy promising that "nice women suck." An additional benefit: Sigourney Weaver is within it! Cher meets Ripley! You cannot fail! Our buddies at Hollywood Crush come with an exclusive first consider the official "Vamps" movie poster. Go take a look and let's read your comments within the comments as well as on Twitter!

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