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Fox exits W-Five
Veteran newsman retiring in September, succeeded by Anton Koschany
Closed caps must go digital: CRTC
High-def and digichannels must provide services for disabled, says regulator, though Internet video gets a pass. ACTRA anticipates more voice work
Canwest okays Walsh pilot
Culture clash comedy Rise Up in the works at Shaftesbury
Cop comedy speeds past $3 million
Alliance sees quick return with Michel Côté comedy De père en flic. Hurt Locker a hit at Maple
Strada, Triptych buy Outlander
Toronto author will consult on feature adaptation, following pickup of noted novel
Kino to handle Hot Docs
Distributor and festival come together on DVDs, ready release of RIP and FLicKeR
ACTRA okays new deal
ACTRA members have ratified a new agreement with the CFTPA and the APFTQ, taking a 2% pay increase each year for the next three years. The remaining terms of the Independent Production Agreement remain unchanged, following generally co-operative talks between the union and the producers associations in the spring. The actors union says its members voted 98.3% in favor of the new deal.
$1 million-plus for Party! 2
The teen romance sequel A vos marques…Party! 2 has passed the $1.2 million mark at the Quebec box office in the face of stiff competition from Hollywood franchise titans. The Quebecois film from director Frédéric D’Amours, released on June 16 on 100 screens province-wide to a target teen girl audience, grossed $523,000 in its first five days. ¿ vos marques… Party! 2 will now play on 86 screens in Quebec as the sequel tries to match the $2 million box office posted by the first ¿ vos marques film in 2007.
No deal, no explanation from CTV, Shaw
A publicity stunt or a serious deal gone sour? That’s the question left in the air after CTVglobemedia said Shaw Communication backed out of a May offer to buy three of its stations – CKX in Brandon, MB, and Ontario stations CKNX in Wingham and CHWI near Windsor – for $1 each.
Imax transforms robots into cash
Canadian digital movie pioneer Imax Corp. crossed the $30 million international box office mark for Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in a record 12 days. The Paramount Pictures release, which features scenes shot by Imax cameras, pulled in $4.6 million from July 3-5 on 169 Imax screens in North America alone. The second weekend performance on Imax screens represented around 10% of the movie’s $42.5 million weekend total in North America on less than 2% of screens.
HBO boosts Astral earnings
Astral Media posted slightly higher third-quarter earnings as subscriber revenue gains offset continuing TV advertising weakness. The Montreal-based broadcaster saw earnings for the three months to May 31 climb 3% to $44.3 million, against a year-earlier $43.2 million, on overall revenue rising 1% to $232.5 million, from $231. 9 million in 2008.
Corus okays Jewison redo
Norman Jewison, Damon D’Oliveira and Globe and Mail columnist Johanna Schneller all got lucky with Corus Entertainment, following the latest round of its Made With Pay Fund.
TIFF red carpet to roll out further
Plans are underway to start the road to Oscar glory at the Toronto International Film Festival from Metro Hall Square. TIFF organizers and the City of Toronto are working out final details on extending the red carpet stroll outside Roy Thomson Hall a block west – to the corner of King and John Streets.
Scream wants women
Scream will have a different name and lineup come September, when it will be rebranded as Dusk. The Corus-owned digichannel will move away from its stock-in-trade gore and horror to more female-friendly paranormal programming.
Cancellations ‘a disaster,’ says doc group
Loss of CBC’s The Lens and Wild Docs the latest blow in a bad year for nonfiction filmmakers, says DOC co-chair John Christou
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