Spartacus Alum Jai Courtney Lands Coveted Die Hard Lead

EXCLUSIVE: A long search is completed, and last century Fox has set Jai Courtney to see the boy of John McClane (Bruce Willis) in the Good Day To Die Hard, the fifth installment in the Die Hard franchise. John Moore will direct a film which has been dated for February 14, 2013 release. Alex Youthful is creating. This is often a large surprise, since the studio, Moore and Willis met lots of rising youthful stars, only to expand the search several occasions. Courtney hadn’t experienced any kind of people short lists that we’d learned about, however accept it came lower to Courtney and Liam Hemsworth, the Hunger Games star. Courtney might well be most broadly noted for taking pleasure in Varro inside the Starz series Spartacus: Blood stream and Sand. He was the close confidante of Spartacus until they were forced in to a fight for the dying. Courtney most recently remains starring opposite Tom Cruise in Vital’s One Shot, the Christopher McQuarrie-directed adaptation in the Lee Child bestseller. He's also installed on star opposite Aaron Eckhart in I, Frankenstein. He's repped by UTA as well as the Collective. An Excellent Day to Die Hard puts McClane by having an worldwide stage, a vintage New you are able to city sea food from water in Moscow, and introduces his estranged boy Jack (Jai Courtney). An apple that has not fallen definately not the tree, Jack could even become a lot of hardass than his father. Despite their versions, they need to interact to keep each other alive and also the planet safe for democracy. This positions Courtney to keep afterwards obligations in the franchise with Willis, who last reprised his franchise character in 2007. DEVELOPING…

New Comedy Central Stand-Up Series 'The Half Hour' Tape in Boston

New Comedy Central Stand-Up Series 'The Half Hour' Tape in Boston By Daniel Lehman Feb 21, 2012 Since 1998, "Comedy Central Presents" introduced comics like Mike Birbiglia, Mitch Hedbgerg, Dane Prepare, Maria Bamford, and numerous others to some national audience within their first public stand-up special offers. This year, however, Comedy Central is changing that lengthy-running half-hour stand-up series with a brand new one: The cable network will begin tape the very first season of "The 30 MinutesInch in Boston next week.Comics Joe Mande, Rory Scovel, Jesse Popp, David O'Doherty, Michael Palascak, Garfunkel & Oates (Kate Micucci and Riki Lindholm), Neal Brennan, Na'im Lynn, Brendon Walsh, Nick Vatterott, Maronzio Vance, and Theo Von would be the dozen established and up-and-coming functions who'll tape their first Comedy Central solo special offers for that series.Tapings will occur from Tuesday, February. 28 to Thursday, March 1 in the Royale in Boston. You will see two shows per evening, featuring two comics each. If you reside within the Boston area, click the link to request free tickets to the tapings. New Comedy Central Stand-Up Series 'The Half Hour' Tape in Boston By Daniel Lehman Feb 21, 2012 Since 1998, "Comedy Central Presents" introduced comics like Mike Birbiglia, Mitch Hedbgerg, Dane Prepare, Maria Bamford, and numerous others to some national audience within their first public stand-up special offers. This season, however, Comedy Central is changing that lengthy-running half-hour stand-up series with a brand new one: The cable network will start tape the very first season of "The 30 MinutesInch in Boston in a few days.Comics Joe Mande, Rory Scovel, Jesse Popp, David O'Doherty, Michael Palascak, Garfunkel & Oates (Kate Micucci and Riki Lindholm), Neal Brennan, Na'im Lynn, Brendon Walsh, Nick Vatterott, Maronzio Vance, and Theo Von would be the dozen established or more-and-coming functions who'll tape their first Comedy Central solo special offers for that series.Tapings will occur from Tuesday, February. 28 to Thursday, March 1 in the Royale in Boston. You will see two shows per evening, featuring two comics each. If you reside within the Boston area, click the link to request free tickets to the tapings.

Lionsgate shares jump 7%

Lionsgate's shares leaped Wednesday simply because of strong prospects because of its approaching 'Hunger Games' franchise.1Shares of Lionsgate have jumped again on Wall Street's bullishness within the small-major's utilized buyout of Summit and powerful prospects because of its "The Hunger Games" franchise.Lionsgate stock closed up 7% on Wednesday, jumping 81 to $12.15, with 2.63 million shares altering hands -- three occasions average volume in the last three several weeks -- despite a downbeat performance overall by issues around the NY Stock Market. The stock had also risen 7% on Friday within the wake of multiple analyst upgrades.The stock has become 41% above its $8.60 cost on Jan. 13, your day Lionsgate closed the $412.5 million Summit deal. It's almost bending in cost from last year, once the problem occured lower by Lionsgate's ongoing fight with investor Carl Icahn. "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer released an positive outlook the 2009 week, offering Lionsgate like a stock that may go up to $15. He stated, "You ought to get within this stock in front of the March release date, even while Lionsgate has increase massively forever of the season, rallying 35% all around the buzz for 'The Hunger Games.'""The Hunger Games," starring Jennifer Lawrence, opens March 23. Lionsgate Boss Jon Feltheimer introduced last Friday throughout an analyst call the trailer for that fifth "Twilight" film is going to be mounted on "Hunger Games" which the 2 franchises will generate "highly visible" cash flows in future years.Feltheimer also stated that total sales from the Suzanne Collins' book trilogy have become by 7.5% throughout yesteryear quarter to 23.5 million. Lionsgate intends to open "Catching Fire," in line with the second "Hunger Games" title, in November 2013. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Exclusive: Shawn Pyfrom Returning to Desperate Housewives

Shawn Pyfrom Dana Delany, Kyle MacLachlan and Andrea Bowen aren't the only ones reappearing on Wisteria Lane: Shawn Pyfrom is set to return in one of the final episodes of Desperate Housewives, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. Check out the rest of today's news Pyfrom, who portrays Bree's (Marcia Cross) son Andrew, will reemerge in Episode 18 of the final season with a big announcement. While details are scarce as to what he'll be revealing to dear old mom, let's just say things have certainly changed since he's been away. We last saw Andrew in Season 7 as he battled with alcoholism before finally admitting to Carlos (Ricardo Chavira) that he had mowed down his mother with a car. Desperate Housewives airs Sundays at 9/8c on ABC.

Maya Rudolph to Host 'Saturday Evening Live'

Former "Saturday Evening Live" regular Maya Rudolph is heading to Studio 8H, this time around to host.Presently starring on NBC comedy "Up Through The Night," Rudolph will lead the February. 18 episode with musical guest Sleigh Alarms. This marks her very first time hosting the live late-evening sketch comedy show since she left in 2007.The Brooklyn-based duo Sleigh Alarms can make their network TV debut on "SNL." Their new album, "Reign of Terror," is placed for release February. 21. They came onto the scene with 2010's "Goodies."Rudolph was last observed in the Universal large-screen comedy "Bridesmaids," which gained two Academy Award nominations. She follows within the actions of "SNL" alum Jimmy Fallon, who came back to his old stomping grounds in December as host."SNL" is created in colaboration with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels. Hosting a few days ago the very first time is "New Girl" star Zooey Deschanel with musical guest Bon Iver. The Hollywood Reporter

Pilot Season: HawthoRNe's Noureen DeWulf Joins Charlie Sheen's Anger Management

Noureen DeWulf Charlie Sheen will probably be encircled by women - and we are not speaking about his goddesses. Noureen DeWulf may be the latest lady to become listed on the cast of his new Forex comedy pilot Anger Management, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Deadline first reported this news. Selma Blair to star opposite Charlie Sheen in FX's Anger Management In Anger Management, created by Bruce Helford (George Lopez), Sheen will have Charlie, an old baseball player with anger issues who becomes an unconventional anger management counselor. DeWulf, whose credits likewise incorporate Outsourced and also the Ghosts of Female friends Past, will have part of his therapy group. A spoiled wealthy girl, she's sentenced to the court-hired anger management classes after shooting her cheating boyfriend. As formerly introduced, Selma Blair will have Charlie's counselor and Shawnee Cruz will have his ex-wife. Anger Management is placed to premiere on Forex in June by having an initial 10-episode run. Should it earn strong rankings, another 90 episodes is going to be created.

Producers upbeat at Rotterdam's CineMart

ROTTERDAM -- No-one at CineMart is saying the crisis is over, yet it's hard to find a glum producer at the Rotterdam Film Festival's co-production market, which wrapped Wednesday with awards to a pair of pics. "Duncharon," Greek helmer Athina Rachel Tsangari's follow-up to "Attenberg," won the 10,000 ($13,000) Arte France Cinema prize for best project. The $39,500 Eurimages prize for best co-production with a European partner went to Serbian debut helmer Nikola Ljuca's "Humidity." "We all know the state of the market at the moment and we've been delighted with the positive reaction we've had," said Christine Alderson of Ipso Facto Films, who's at the mart with debut helmer Andrew Hulme's "Snow in Paradise," about a violent man who turns to Islam in London's East End. Tale's cross-over potential in an art-house market was one attraction, she said. "People really relate to the project and the way we are trying to make it." Following CineMart contacts, her aim is to ink a sales deal and choose co-producers by the end of the Berlinale. Chelsea Winstanley, of New Zealand's Defender Films, came to Rotterdam looking for German or Austrian co-producers for Taika Waititi's "Jojo Rabbit," about a 10-year-old boy in wartime Vienna who aspires to be the world's best Nazi. The response has been very positive, she said. "We're in the fortunate position of being able to choose." Frans van Gestel of Topkapi Films, producing Urszula Antoniak's "Nude Area," also has a full contacts book. "After CineMart we have all the partners we want to have attached, and most probably a sales agent." Bigger names in the mart, such as Ruben Ostlund and Kelly Reichardt, predictably attracted attention. But one of the most buzzed about projects was Indian helmer Ritesh Batra's debut, "The Lunch Box," which signed up Paris-based Cedomir Kolar as a co-producer. CineMart's first 3D project, Alexei Popogrebsky's "Lost Rooms," also drew interest. "It was a bit of a gamble for us, because some people might think it is not really a CineMart project, but it was really popular," said Jacobine van der Vloed, the mart's senior coordinator. Pic joins Ostlund's "Tourist" and "Jojo Rabbit" on the Rotterdam-Berlinale Express, which promotes projects at Berlin's European Film Market. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com