Farmiga Marches To The Drummer's Beat

She's joining the Dennis Wilson biopicLast October, you may recall that Aaron Eckhart signed on to play Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson in The Drummer. Now he's getting some romantic attention in the shape of Vera Farmiga.She's joined the film to play Christine McVie, better known as the singer-songwriter part of Fleetwood Mac. The film's plot will track the six years of Wilson's life that saw him consumed in a passionate, tumultuous relationship with McVie that ended with his death in 1983. Their love match reportedly inspired Mac's 1982 song Hold Me, which was co-written by McVie.Bottle Shock director Randall Miller is the man who wrote the script and will call the shots on the film. And he knows exactly why Farmiga won the role. Well, besides her acting abilities, that is: she's also a classically trained pianist. "She has a number of duets with Eckhart in the film," Miller tells Variety. "The combination of Aaron and Vera will be pure magic."With the rights to Wilson's life and music locked in place, Miller will start shooting June 15. Farmiga will next be seen in Safe House, which unlocks its doors in cinemas on February 24.

Start looking at James McAvoy in Thanks For Visiting The Punch

The very first image from Thanks For Visiting The Punch continues to be revealed at Screen Daily.It shows James McAvoy, who play a London detective, searching pretty clever inside a neon-hued London. He'll synergy having a cool crim (the ever-reliable Mark Strong) in order to uncover a higher-level conspiracy.The main one factor that actually sticks out out of this image though may be the leap that director Eran Creevy has had since his low quality breakout, Shifty.Mobile phone industry's from the council estates where he lensed that earlier effort, here he showcases an entirely different side based in london, bathing my way through a Michael Mann-esque blue glow.We are wishing individuals Hollywood evaluations aren't just likely to be superficial, since Ridley Scott continues to be meting out advice within the editing suite.Thanks For Visiting The Punch, that also stars Andrea Riseborough, Peter Mullan and Shifty's Daniel Mays, opens within the United kingdom on 7 September 2012.And, while you are here, why don't you browse the start looking at James McAvoy in Filth? He's clearly pursuing diversity...

Kudos spotlight PGA's credits conundrum

The Producers Guild threw a lively party over the weekend and handed out its annual awards, but finding myself sharing a table with 10 producers triggered the inevitable question: Why does it always take 10 producers to produce a movie? The answer, of course, is that it doesn't. Indeed, producers are fighting a war about the ludicrous proliferation of credits. It's a worthy fight because a growing number of people are demanding credit for a shrinking number of movies. Every movie begins with a succession of four or five company logos (why isn't there an award for best logo?) followed by a long list of producers and executive producers. I can understand why an offbeat film like "The Help" needed co-financing (its credits look like a United Nations treaty) but even a genre thriller like "Contraband" billed eight producers plus logos for six production entities. (My personal favorite is Mark Walhberg's Closest to the Hole Productions.) The Producers Guild is starting to win its battle to single out those producers who actually perform production services on a film. Some studios have agreed to put the "PGA" mark adjacent to the names of those producers. I am sympathetic with this campaign: I personally have received production credit on five films, only two of which I actually worked on (I didn't even request credit on the others). The credit issue is tied to a broad problem: The diminished status of the producer in the filmmaking power pyramid. The great Sir Laurence Olivier complained in his memoir that his producer, Samuel Goldwyn, was constantly nattering at him over his performance in "Wuthering Heights' and that he rarely heard from his director. A great producer like Hal Wallis not only had sole credit on his films but, on a picture like "True Grit' (the first one) he supervised the cut instead of his director. The decline of the producer began in the '70s when obstreperous young filmmakers seized many of the responsibilities of producers. Most of the films that emerged from this epoch were low-budget -- and most went over budget. Long forgotten is the fact that renegade producers like the late Burt Schneider fostered the best of those films -- "Easy Rider" and "Five Easy Pieces," for example. It takes a range of packagers and financing entities to bring a film to life these days and they deserve credit for putting their bucks -- and their butts -- on the line. But do they all have to be producers? One admirable trait among producers is that they know how to deliver a gracious acceptance speech. This is a dying skill, judging from the bizarre acceptances at the Golden Globes. The normally serene Meryl Streep mumbled a profanity, blew off her speech and claimed she'd lost her glasses. Octavia Spencer delivered her laundry list of agents and acolytes. Dustin Hoffman started thanking his wife and agent even though he was just a presenter. George Clooney, normally a master at this, was so generous to his friends and colleagues (and to the ubiquitous Brad Pitt) that it seemed as though he'd forgotten that he'd actually won something himself. Part of the problem, of course, is that winners want to remind everyone that they know it's just the Globes -- it's a big show but it's not the main event. For that reason, it's imperative to be at once grateful, yet humble -- and that's a major test for any superstar. In a couple of weeks Tom Sherak, the president of the Academy, will deliver his annual speech at the Oscar nominees luncheon, where he will plead for concise, even eloquent, acceptance speeches. "This is your moment in the sun," he will remind them. It is an opportunity to inspire young talent, to summarize lessons learned and traps avoided. It is a rare chance for actors and filmmakers to display the smarts that are obscured on the red carpet. There's no need to rattle off lists of parents, press agents and proctologists. Sherak himself will deliver a good speech. His admonitions will be ignored. Contact Peter Bart at peter.bart@variety.com

Seacrest mother on 'Today'

SeacrestRyan Seacrest was mostly tight-lipped about his possible go to the "Today" show at TCA on Sunday.Following his sesh marketing the arrival season of "Americanidol,In . Seacrest mentioned it absolutely was "flattering" that his title remains spoken about as an alternative for Matt Lauer, whose deal with the NBC program finishes later this year.He it had been diplomatic in not trying to oust longtime ayem host Lauer within the "Today" chair he presently holds."The one that has that job will probably be there as extended simply because they want," Seacrest mentioned.Seacrest, who's employed by NBCUniversal for his E! network duties and contains their very own production company that produces numerous shows for your cabler, knows developing early every morning. He's been a La radio host for any very long time and contains saved that job while adding others to his already schedule.If Seacrest were to battle "Today," clearly, his "Idol" duties would ended.Fox reality topper Mike Darnell mentioned a Seacrest-less "Idol" could be referred to like a radical change for your program's audience."I am unable to think about the show without him," Darnell mentioned. "Our expectation is he'll be around the program as extended as you possibly can make him.InchFor the rise of musical competition shows since "Idol" began nearly 10 years ago, professional producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz mentioned, "Ultimately, competitors are good plus you've got to enhance your game. This is actually the only factor that can be done.InchAdditional Darnell, round the competition between "Idol" and NBC's "The Voice," which was an episode hit for your Peacock a year ago: "We don't concern ourselves together with other shows." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Comic-Disadvantage co-founder dies

Richard Alf, among the co-founders of San Diego's Comic-Disadvantage, has died from pancreatic cancer at 59. Alf became a member of track of a gang of volunteers in 1970 to begin the now-annual convention honoring comics. Friend and fellow Comic-Disadvantage co-founder Mike Towry states Alf fronted a couple of 1000 dollars to cover the convention for that first 3 years and gave other co-founders rides in the vehicle. In 1970, the very first Comic-Disadvantage was relatively modest in comparison towards the convention that now draws a lot more than 125,000 individuals to North Park every summer time for any 3-day extravaganza. Alf also founded the Comic Kingdom shop in Hillcrest within the seventies. Alf was identified with advanced pancreatic cancer in December. He's made it by his mother. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Audrey Hepburn's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Letter to Henry Mancini: 'You Sent Us Soaring'

Individuals acquainted with the screen adaptation of Truman Capote's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' realize that Carol Golightly had quite the way in which with words -- "the mean yellows," "nasty Thursdays" -- however it works out that could have experienced much more related to Katherine Hepburn than you thought. Cameron Crowe got his on the job some old Hollywood memorabilia, an email the actress authored to 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' composer Henry Mancini. (How? Why? Who cares!) Can't you simply see Hepburn putting lower her ukulele or cigarette holder and determining -- on impulse -- to create Mr. Mancini instructions? "A film without music is a touch bit as an plane without fuel. However superbly the task is performed, we're still on the floor -- to an enormous amount of reality," she authored. "Your music has lifted all of us up and sent us soaring." Some other reasons to become endeared through the beloved screen beauty: she authored 'aeroplane' and known as Mancini a stylish cat. Browse the full letter below, but make sure to bring your reading through glasses. Cameron Crowe on WhoSay [Photo: Everett] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook