'War Horse' Star Jeremy Irvine to Play Young Colin Firth in 'The Railway Man' (Exclusive)

Jeremy Irvine, star of Steven Spielberg's upcoming drama War Horse, has been cast in The Railway Man, a drama to be directed by Jonathan Teplitzky. The project is based on a memoir by Eric Lomax that chronicles his experience working on Japan's Death Railway during World War II and the woman he loved. Japan forced prisoners of war to work on the railway, which connectsBangkok to what is now Yangon, Myanmar. Lomax was a British officer during the war, and was tortured by the Japanese for being a spy. Later in life, Lomax sought to track down one of his torturers. He will also be portrayed byColin Firth in the film. The script was co-written byFrank Cottrell Boyce and Andy Paterson, who is also producing via his Archer Street Productions with Chris Brown of Pictures in Paradise and Bill Curbishley. Lionsgate has the U.K. rights and is handling international sales. Liongate U.K.'s Zygi Kamasa will executive produce. Irvine is currently in production on director Mike Newell'sGreat Expectations, in which he will star as Pip opposite Ralph Fiennes and Helen Bonham Carter. He has completed Now is Good, oppositeDakota Fanning, Paddy Considine and Olivia Williams. In Dreamworks'War Horse, which will be released in December, Irvine plays Albert, whose beloved horse is sold to the cavalry during World War I. Though too young to enlist, Albert heads to the battlefields to save his equine friend. The film is based on the Tony Award-winning play. Irvine is represented by CAA,Hatton McEwan in the U.K. and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams & Hurwitz. Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com Twitter: @DanielNMiller Related Topics Colin Firth War Horse

'Jurassic Park' Trilogy Blu-Ray: Remembering The Dinosaur Classic

Today is a good day for Blu-Ray fanatics! The "Jurassic Park" trilogy is becoming obtainable in most its dino-tastic, awesome old-fashioned effects glory. It's tough to consider the initial "Jurassic Park" showed up in this area almost 2 decades ago, From the the trauma/delight of the moviegoing experience appreciate it was yesterday... To celebrate this amazing event, MTV News was sufficiently fortunate to get get together with a few in the film's key players: Ariana Richards (also called Lex) as well as the multiple award-winning Foreign exchange masterminds Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett and John Rosengrant. See the video below to look for the things they have to say regarding favorite moments and just what the experience made to them. "I like coming back for your kitchen scene because it am intense which i usually think it is most likely probably the most frightening moments to check out,In . Richards mentioned in the scene that stays probably the most in their memory. "There's one minute inside where I preferred to be able to save my cousin from being destroyed by one of these brilliant things and Steven [Spielberg] found me and mentioned, 'Ariana, just scare us. Just revealed.' Which Used to do, which i didn't know I really could take action, but he introduced things from me which i didn't know I'd.Inch Richards ongoing to convey they loved the end result her character had on other youthful women, regarding how Lex's intelligence was referred to within an positive light versus a bad one. "I felt great relating to this, really. Getting a chance to play a personality who's a young girl who's smart, who's able and who also arrived at function as heroine in the story since the time ongoing. Youthful women need to know that, it's fantastic being smart also to choose this." For your Foreign exchange masters of magic, Muren, Tippett and Rosengrant, whose resumes are very full of awesome (i.e. they've been part of the success from the favorite movies throughout the final 3 decades) it's absurd, they're just happy they finished the film quickly. "Personally it's type of the whole factor. Just that we first first got it done can be a miracle plus it am exciting in those days carrying it out,In . Muren, whose work furthermore you realize from "E.T.," "Willow" and "Twister." "It absolutely was a sizable deal," added Tippett, the visual effects guy behind "Alien,Inch "Indiana Manley" and "Starship Military," to title a few. "I had been pleased with every single character because every one of these was an chance," Rosengrant mentioned, who rocked creature effects on "Aliens," "Terminator" and "World Mission." "These were their unique personas every one of these was treasured." What's your chosen memory from "Jurassic Park?" Reveal inside the comments or on Twitter!

15th Annual Hollywood Film Awards Kicks Off Season of Awards Shows

15th Annual Hollywood Film Awards Kicks Off Season of Awards Shows By Scott Feinberg October 25, 2011 Photo by Getty Images Carey Mulligan The 15th annual Hollywood Awards took place on Monday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, kicking off a months-long season of self-congratulations and chicken dinners shared by the same core group of people.There is something special about this event, though, because it offers industry observers our first opportunity to see how dozens of awards hopefuls handle the spotlight. There is no tension about who will get called to the podium, since the honorees are announced weeks before the ceremony (determined by the event's executive director Carlos de Abreu and a panel of advisors), but there is still plenty on the line. Indeed, a highlight clip, introduction, or acceptance speech can immensely help or hurt a contender's prospects, as the many studio publicists, executives, and chiefs in attendance (including The Weinstein Company's Harvey Weinstein and Sony Pictures Classics's Michael Barker) were well aware.Based on what I was able to gauge last night from a seat in the audience and access that I was exclusively granted to the backstage area and green room throughout the show, nobody really set themselves back very much at this particular awards show, but a few people certainly came away from the festivities stronger than they entered them.Some highlights...The biggest winner of the night, in my estimation, was Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn"), a top contender for the best actress Oscar, who was the recipient of the Hollywood Actress Award. Williams looked beautiful and spoke eloquently, as always, but was helped most by the person who presented her award to her: 82-year-old screen legend Don Murray, "the last of the on-screen lovers of Marilyn Monroe." Murray earned an Oscar nod for his film debut opposite the blonde bombshell in "Bus Stop" (1956), which was released in the same year in which Williams portrays Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn," which makes him as qualified as just about anyone alive to evaluate Williams' performance -- and he couldn't have offered a more ringing endorsement. Murray, who drove down to the event from Santa Barbara with his wife, told the audience, "She created some moments that were so intimately familiar to me because I spent 14 weeks with Marilyn... I know that Michelle studied everything -- read every book she could find -- about Marilyn... and the amazing thing is that there is not one thing in that film that is not truthful... it was just a revelation... she holds the mirror up to nature and she gets into acting that is beyond acting, that is being... Michelle's performance made me appreciate Marilyn." Afterwards, in the green room, he reiterated to me: "She nailed it."The cast of "The Help," which is a top contender for the best picture Oscar, was the recipient of the Hollywood Ensemble Award, and selected Viola Davis, who is a top contender for the best actress Oscar, to speak on their behalf from the podium. Joined on-stage by co-stars Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mary Steenburgen, Ahna O'Reilly, and Cicely Tyson (who was very reluctant to appear on stage but was begged to by Stone and Howard and eventually acquiesced), Davis delivered what was probably the best acceptance speech of the night. She noted that what makes a project special for an actor can easily be forgotten during "the Oscar push," but that she will never forget how special this one was: "This cast was 99 percent women, and we all walked away just loving each other." She teared up when she looked at her castmates and told them, "It was an honor to work with all of you."Glenn Close ("Albert Nobbs"), who is a top contender for the best actress Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Career Achievement Award by fellow acting veteran Ted Danson, received a hearty standing ovation, and delivered a characteristically eloquent and humble acceptance speech. It is hard to believe that this talented and well-liked actress has yet to win an Oscar, despite scoring a string of five nominations in seven years back in the eighties.It was uncertain how Christopher Plummer ("Beginners"), the 81-year-old who is widely considered to be the frontrunner for the best supporting actor Oscar, would handle himself upon being presented with the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award by his co-star Ewan McGregor. Plummer has a reputation for being a bit curmudgeonly, especially when it comes to the gladhanding part of awards campaigning, which might explain why he has only been nominated for an Oscar once -- for best supporting actor for "The Last Station" (2009) -- despite having given great performances for decades. But he passed this early test with flying colors, joking that he was pleased to be among the first to be honored because it was "way past my bedtime"; stating, "I've never been so relaxed in front of a camera"; and profusely thanking his "son" McGregor, his "partner" Goran Visnjic, writer/director Mike Mills, and, "of course, Cosmo, the dog."Diablo Cody ("Young Adult"), who is a top contender for the best original screenplay Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Screenwriter Award by fellow Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino, with whom she animatedly discussed her film and sipped champagne in the green room earlier in the night. Tarantino introduced her as someone who he regards as being "in the class of a Paddy Chayefsky, in the class of a William Goldman," and noted that she and Jason Reitman, who collaborated on "Juno" (2007) prior to re-teaming for "Young Adult," "truly bring the best out of each other." He closed by paraphrasing a snide remark by the "NY Times" film critic A.O. Scott: 'Well, if you think Quentin Tarantino is a great writer, then I guess you think Diablo Cody is a great writer.' Well I do, and I do!" Cody thanked him, calling him "one of my heroes," and joked about having come so far from her "early work," which in reality was only a few years ago.Perennial honoree George Clooney ("The Descendants"), who is a top contender for the best actor Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Actor Award by his co-star Beau Bridges, and gave a characteristically humble acceptance speech, emphasizing to the audience, "I am very lucky. I'm a lucky man." He was referring to some of the breaks that he's had over the course of his career, such as the fact that "ER," the show that made him a household name, played on Thursday nights instead of some other time slot in which he would have been less exposed... but if you saw how beautiful his girlfriend Stacy Keibler looked last night (they stayed almost until the end and ultimately left hand-in-hand), you'd be forgiven for thinking he was referring specifically to her!Bennett Miller ("Moneyball"), who is a top contender for the best director Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Director Award by one of his film's stars, Jonah Hill. Hill, who was best known for playing sophomoric teenagers in raunchy comedies prior to "Moneyball," said, "My natural intuition is to try to be funny... telling a joke is a way to try to avoid revealing how you really feel... but I love this guy very much -- he's a wonderful human being." After Miller took the stage and the two embraced, the director cracked about the intro, "There was nothing funny about that!"Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("50/50"), who is a possible contender for the best actor Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Breakthrough Actor Award, which prompted his co-star Bryce Dallas Howard to say to him, when they ran into each other before the show, "Breakthrough actor?! You've been acting since you were six. You are so cheating!"Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist"), who is a top contender for the best director Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award. Meanwhile, backstage in the green room, "The Artist" stars Berenice Bejo (Hazanavicius's wife) and Jean Dujardin chuckled with George Clooney as several people tried to pronounce his last name but failed miserably.Letty Aronson ("Midnight in Paris"), a top contender for the best picture Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Producer Award by her film's star Owen Wilson. The reception that both of them -- and the clip of their film -- received from the audience only enhances my current suspicion that it will wind up as one of this year's best picture nominees even if there are only five films that make the cut in the category.Alberto Iglesias ("The Skin I Live In"), who is a top contender for the best original score Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Composer Award. Antonio Banderas, his fellow Spaniard and the star of that film, was to do the honors, but he had to cancel at the last minute because he was hosting a fundraiser for President Barack Obama, who is in town, so Michael Barker, the co-chief of the film's distributor Sony Pictures Classics, stepped up and gave a terrific off-the-cuff intro. He noted that Pedro Almodovar, the film's director, had told him with great pride that he fully expected people decades from now to closely associate his success with Iglesias's work in the same way that they do Alfred Hitchcock with Bernard Herrmann and Federico Fellini with Nino Rota.Emmanuel Lubezki ("The Tree of Life"), who is a top contender for the best cinematography Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Cinematographer Award by Ben Affleck, one of the stars of the untitled Terrence Malick film that Lubezki is editing. Affleck, sporting a beard, sung Lubezki's praises and emphasized that much of his best work didn't even make it into the highlight reel that preceded his introduction. Lubezki profusely thanked Affleck for coming to present him with the award despite being in the midst of shooting a film.Stephen Mirrione ("The Ides of March"), who is a top contender for the best film editing Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Film Editor Award by George Clooney, who has had him edit three of the four films he has directed "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Leatherheads," and "Ides" -- and several other films in which he has starred, which Clooney joked about: "He edited 'Oceans 11,' '12,' and '13.' He actually completely edited out 14 -- he did that for you guys!"Berenice Bejo ("The Artist"), Jean Dujardin ("The Artist"), Elle Fanning ("Super 8"), my table mate Amber Heard ("The Rum Diary"), Andrea Riseborough ("W.E."), Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants"), and Anton Yelchin ("Like Crazy") were presented with this season's Hollywood Spotlight Awards, which celebrate breakthrough acting achievements. Backstage before the presentation, I chatted with down-to-earth Yelchin, who I feel like I've seen more than my family over the past week or so, and lovely Woodley, who told me that she was very excited to receive the first award of her career, and also exhausted but exhilarated from traveling to something like half a dozen cities around the world over the past month on behalf of her film! (Unfortunately, she didn't know in advance that she was supposed to deliver a brief acceptance speech, so much of her time at the podium was devoted to repeating that fact, which might be seen as a lost opportunity to connect with the industry. That being said, she'll surely have many more chances.)"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2," which is a possible contender for the best picture Oscar, was chosen as the winner of the Hollywood Movie Award, which celebrates the most popular film of the year and is determined by the public through voting on the Yahoo! Movies website. This was not a tremendous surprise and will, in and of itself, probably not have much of an impact on the race.Rosie Huntington-Whitely ("Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon"), the British actress who replaced Megan Fox as the "Transformers" franchise's resident hottie, was in the green room before presenting one award or another, and is one of the most strikingly beautiful people that I've ever seen. I have never seen lips like hers except on dolls or fish... and, in case it's not clear, I mean that as a compliment. The Hollywood Reporter 15th Annual Hollywood Film Awards Kicks Off Season of Awards Shows By Scott Feinberg October 25, 2011 Carey Mulligan PHOTO CREDIT Getty Images The 15th annual Hollywood Awards took place on Monday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, kicking off a months-long season of self-congratulations and chicken dinners shared by the same core group of people.There is something special about this event, though, because it offers industry observers our first opportunity to see how dozens of awards hopefuls handle the spotlight. There is no tension about who will get called to the podium, since the honorees are announced weeks before the ceremony (determined by the event's executive director Carlos de Abreu and a panel of advisors), but there is still plenty on the line. Indeed, a highlight clip, introduction, or acceptance speech can immensely help or hurt a contender's prospects, as the many studio publicists, executives, and chiefs in attendance (including The Weinstein Company's Harvey Weinstein and Sony Pictures Classics's Michael Barker) were well aware.Based on what I was able to gauge last night from a seat in the audience and access that I was exclusively granted to the backstage area and green room throughout the show, nobody really set themselves back very much at this particular awards show, but a few people certainly came away from the festivities stronger than they entered them.Some highlights...The biggest winner of the night, in my estimation, was Michelle Williams ("My Week with Marilyn"), a top contender for the best actress Oscar, who was the recipient of the Hollywood Actress Award. Williams looked beautiful and spoke eloquently, as always, but was helped most by the person who presented her award to her: 82-year-old screen legend Don Murray, "the last of the on-screen lovers of Marilyn Monroe." Murray earned an Oscar nod for his film debut opposite the blonde bombshell in "Bus Stop" (1956), which was released in the same year in which Williams portrays Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn," which makes him as qualified as just about anyone alive to evaluate Williams' performance -- and he couldn't have offered a more ringing endorsement. Murray, who drove down to the event from Santa Barbara with his wife, told the audience, "She created some moments that were so intimately familiar to me because I spent 14 weeks with Marilyn... I know that Michelle studied everything -- read every book she could find -- about Marilyn... and the amazing thing is that there is not one thing in that film that is not truthful... it was just a revelation... she holds the mirror up to nature and she gets into acting that is beyond acting, that is being... Michelle's performance made me appreciate Marilyn." Afterwards, in the green room, he reiterated to me: "She nailed it."The cast of "The Help," which is a top contender for the best picture Oscar, was the recipient of the Hollywood Ensemble Award, and selected Viola Davis, who is a top contender for the best actress Oscar, to speak on their behalf from the podium. Joined on-stage by co-stars Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mary Steenburgen, Ahna O'Reilly, and Cicely Tyson (who was very reluctant to appear on stage but was begged to by Stone and Howard and eventually acquiesced), Davis delivered what was probably the best acceptance speech of the night. She noted that what makes a project special for an actor can easily be forgotten during "the Oscar push," but that she will never forget how special this one was: "This cast was 99 percent women, and we all walked away just loving each other." She teared up when she looked at her castmates and told them, "It was an honor to work with all of you."Glenn Close ("Albert Nobbs"), who is a top contender for the best actress Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Career Achievement Award by fellow acting veteran Ted Danson, received a hearty standing ovation, and delivered a characteristically eloquent and humble acceptance speech. It is hard to believe that this talented and well-liked actress has yet to win an Oscar, despite scoring a string of five nominations in seven years back in the eighties.It was uncertain how Christopher Plummer ("Beginners"), the 81-year-old who is widely considered to be the frontrunner for the best supporting actor Oscar, would handle himself upon being presented with the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award by his co-star Ewan McGregor. Plummer has a reputation for being a bit curmudgeonly, especially when it comes to the gladhanding part of awards campaigning, which might explain why he has only been nominated for an Oscar once -- for best supporting actor for "The Last Station" (2009) -- despite having given great performances for decades. But he passed this early test with flying colors, joking that he was pleased to be among the first to be honored because it was "way past my bedtime"; stating, "I've never been so relaxed in front of a camera"; and profusely thanking his "son" McGregor, his "partner" Goran Visnjic, writer/director Mike Mills, and, "of course, Cosmo, the dog."Diablo Cody ("Young Adult"), who is a top contender for the best original screenplay Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Screenwriter Award by fellow Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino, with whom she animatedly discussed her film and sipped champagne in the green room earlier in the night. Tarantino introduced her as someone who he regards as being "in the class of a Paddy Chayefsky, in the class of a William Goldman," and noted that she and Jason Reitman, who collaborated on "Juno" (2007) prior to re-teaming for "Young Adult," "truly bring the best out of each other." He closed by paraphrasing a snide remark by the "NY Times" film critic A.O. Scott: 'Well, if you think Quentin Tarantino is a great writer, then I guess you think Diablo Cody is a great writer.' Well I do, and I do!" Cody thanked him, calling him "one of my heroes," and joked about having come so far from her "early work," which in reality was only a few years ago.Perennial honoree George Clooney ("The Descendants"), who is a top contender for the best actor Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Actor Award by his co-star Beau Bridges, and gave a characteristically humble acceptance speech, emphasizing to the audience, "I am very lucky. I'm a lucky man." He was referring to some of the breaks that he's had over the course of his career, such as the fact that "ER," the show that made him a household name, played on Thursday nights instead of some other time slot in which he would have been less exposed... but if you saw how beautiful his girlfriend Stacy Keibler looked last night (they stayed almost until the end and ultimately left hand-in-hand), you'd be forgiven for thinking he was referring specifically to her!Bennett Miller ("Moneyball"), who is a top contender for the best director Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Director Award by one of his film's stars, Jonah Hill. Hill, who was best known for playing sophomoric teenagers in raunchy comedies prior to "Moneyball," said, "My natural intuition is to try to be funny... telling a joke is a way to try to avoid revealing how you really feel... but I love this guy very much -- he's a wonderful human being." After Miller took the stage and the two embraced, the director cracked about the intro, "There was nothing funny about that!"Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("50/50"), who is a possible contender for the best actor Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Breakthrough Actor Award, which prompted his co-star Bryce Dallas Howard to say to him, when they ran into each other before the show, "Breakthrough actor?! You've been acting since you were six. You are so cheating!"Michel Hazanavicius ("The Artist"), who is a top contender for the best director Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award. Meanwhile, backstage in the green room, "The Artist" stars Berenice Bejo (Hazanavicius's wife) and Jean Dujardin chuckled with George Clooney as several people tried to pronounce his last name but failed miserably.Letty Aronson ("Midnight in Paris"), a top contender for the best picture Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Producer Award by her film's star Owen Wilson. The reception that both of them -- and the clip of their film -- received from the audience only enhances my current suspicion that it will wind up as one of this year's best picture nominees even if there are only five films that make the cut in the category.Alberto Iglesias ("The Skin I Live In"), who is a top contender for the best original score Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Composer Award. Antonio Banderas, his fellow Spaniard and the star of that film, was to do the honors, but he had to cancel at the last minute because he was hosting a fundraiser for President Barack Obama, who is in town, so Michael Barker, the co-chief of the film's distributor Sony Pictures Classics, stepped up and gave a terrific off-the-cuff intro. He noted that Pedro Almodovar, the film's director, had told him with great pride that he fully expected people decades from now to closely associate his success with Iglesias's work in the same way that they do Alfred Hitchcock with Bernard Herrmann and Federico Fellini with Nino Rota.Emmanuel Lubezki ("The Tree of Life"), who is a top contender for the best cinematography Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Cinematographer Award by Ben Affleck, one of the stars of the untitled Terrence Malick film that Lubezki is editing. Affleck, sporting a beard, sung Lubezki's praises and emphasized that much of his best work didn't even make it into the highlight reel that preceded his introduction. Lubezki profusely thanked Affleck for coming to present him with the award despite being in the midst of shooting a film.Stephen Mirrione ("The Ides of March"), who is a top contender for the best film editing Oscar, was presented with the Hollywood Film Editor Award by George Clooney, who has had him edit three of the four films he has directed "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Leatherheads," and "Ides" -- and several other films in which he has starred, which Clooney joked about: "He edited 'Oceans 11,' '12,' and '13.' He actually completely edited out 14 -- he did that for you guys!"Berenice Bejo ("The Artist"), Jean Dujardin ("The Artist"), Elle Fanning ("Super 8"), my table mate Amber Heard ("The Rum Diary"), Andrea Riseborough ("W.E."), Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants"), and Anton Yelchin ("Like Crazy") were presented with this season's Hollywood Spotlight Awards, which celebrate breakthrough acting achievements. Backstage before the presentation, I chatted with down-to-earth Yelchin, who I feel like I've seen more than my family over the past week or so, and lovely Woodley, who told me that she was very excited to receive the first award of her career, and also exhausted but exhilarated from traveling to something like half a dozen cities around the world over the past month on behalf of her film! (Unfortunately, she didn't know in advance that she was supposed to deliver a brief acceptance speech, so much of her time at the podium was devoted to repeating that fact, which might be seen as a lost opportunity to connect with the industry. That being said, she'll surely have many more chances.)"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2," which is a possible contender for the best picture Oscar, was chosen as the winner of the Hollywood Movie Award, which celebrates the most popular film of the year and is determined by the public through voting on the Yahoo! Movies website. This was not a tremendous surprise and will, in and of itself, probably not have much of an impact on the race.Rosie Huntington-Whitely ("Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon"), the British actress who replaced Megan Fox as the "Transformers" franchise's resident hottie, was in the green room before presenting one award or another, and is one of the most strikingly beautiful people that I've ever seen. I have never seen lips like hers except on dolls or fish... and, in case it's not clear, I mean that as a compliment. The Hollywood Reporter

Mattel buys Hit for $680 mil

Toymaker Mattel Monday introduced intends to acquire Hit Ing. for $680 million in cash from U.K. private equity finance firm Apax Partners. Hit, from the U.K., with annual revenue around $180 million, is the owner of a premier global portfolio of preschool brands, including Thomas & Buddies, Barney, Bob the Builder, Fireman Mike and Angelina Ballerina. El Segundo, Calif.-based Mattel is the organization behind Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, American Girl and several entertainment-inspired toy lines. Speculation in regards to a deal between your two emerged a week ago. Mattel already includes a contract with Hit through 2014 to license certain plastic Thomas items, whose global sales total a lot more than $150 million, the organization stated. The offer, it stated, allows it still expand the items and reunite two key bits of the Thomas toy selection, the plastic and die-cast toys using the wood-based business. "Hit Entertainment is the owner of probably the most loved and reliable preschool brands on the planet and under Mattel's leadership, I anticipate seeing them grow to increased levels," stated Hit Boss Jeffrey Dunn. "Mattel is an excellent steward of brands, along with a great home for that outstanding qualities Hit is promoting and grown." The purchase doesn't include Hit's curiosity about the cable network station Sprout. The transaction is anticipated to become funded with a mix of cash and debt, and it is likely to near the coast the very first quarter of 2012. It's not envisioned having a fabric effect on Mattel's 2012 earnings, but is anticipated to become progressively accretive as the advantages of possessing these brands are reflected in Mattel's results. "Mattel may be the right home for Thomas and buddies," stated Mattel leader Robert Eckert. Hit Boss Jeffrey Dunn added: "It's fitting the world's premier toy company should become who owns the earth's premier pre-school property." Hit, that was produced through the late British media entrepreneur Peter Orton in 1989, was bought by Apax for $890 million in 2005. Within the succeeding years the kids content business continues to be buffeted by decreasing DVD sales and questions over future TV ad revenues. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

The Leading Line (Gojijeon)

A Showbox/Mediaplex presentation of the TPS Co. production in colaboration with A-Po Films. (Worldwide sales: Showbox/Mediaplex, Seoul.) Created by Lee Woo-jung, Kim Hyun-cheol. Executive producer, You Jeong-hoon. Directed by Jang Hoon. Script, Park Sang-yeon.With: Shin '-kyun, Ko Soo, Lee Je-hoon, Ryu Seung-soo, Ko Chang-seok, David Lee, Ryoo Seung-yong, Kim Ok-vin, Cho Jin-woong. (Korean, British dialogue)Even though it does not provide a new chapter for that war-is-hell playbook, "The Leading Line" is really a solid if overlong chronicle of the South Korean unit plowing it close to the 38th parallel throughout the 1950-53 conflict. Engaging auds psychologically with strong figures and bittersweet moments of opponents fraternizing from the distance, South Korea's foreign-language Oscar submission became one from the year's greatest domestic hits, with 2.95 million admissions since its This summer 20 release, and won the very best prize in the national Golden Bell honours. Offshore theatrical exposure seems unlikely, however the pic's high-quality action footage bodes well for ancillary. Setting is The month of january 1953, 2 yrs after armistice discussions commenced. Designated to research the potential murder of the officer by among their own males and eliminate a suspected communist mole, military intelligence officer Kang Eun-pyo (Shin '-kyun) is sent to Alligator Unit, that is now underneath the command of morphine-addicted Shin Il-yeong (Lee Je-hoon). A ragged squad that lacks discipline and it has come to putting on enemy uniforms to help keep warm, Alligator includes burly joker Yang Hyo-mike (Ko Chang-seok), scared teen Nam Sang-sik (David Lee) and Kim Su-hyeok (Ko Soo), a classic friend of Kang's whose open comments about military brass mark him because the potential traitor. The senselessness of war is represented by Alligator Unit's pursuit to capture Aerok Hill, a little peak around the 38th parallel that's transformed hands with monotonous regularity since hostilities commenced. Forever taking up then retreating in the same chunk of property, Alligator along with a like-minded number of North Koreans established a concealed mailbox on Aerok Hill where gifts are exchanged and letters from Northern soldiers to family members within the South are collected and shipped with no feeling of wrongdoing. These connections between authors and visitors from the letters form a good emotional core, however the tension surrounding Kang's putative mission soon fizzles, and also the pic's message concerning the horror from it all becomes labored after another assault on Aerok Hill. Delivering partial compensation, suspense-smart, are sudden looks with a deadly North Korean sniper performed through the film's sole female cast member, Kim Ok-vin. Credit scripter Park Sang-yeon and helmer Jang Hoon because of not involving in a saber rattling. Given not only token screen time, North Korean figures including damaged commander Oh Gi-yeong (Ryu Seung-soo) seem being just like fed up with the fighting his or her South Korean alternatives. Thesping is okay, without any macho posturing around the corner. Shin is charming because the officer whose feeling of duty is tossed off balance through the stark reality he encounters at Aerok Hill, and Lee Je-hoon is memorable because the youthful commander that has attended hell and in the road of duty. Pictures by d.p. Kim Woo-hyung subtly change from gritty in fight sequences to wash but never glossy in quieter moments. The relaxation from the technical package is topnotch.Camera (color, HD), Kim Woo-hyung editors, Kim Sang-beom, Kim Jae-beom music, Jang Youthful-gyu, Dalparan production designer, Ryu Seong-hie costume designer, Cho Sang-kyung seem (Dolby Digital), Jeong Gwang-ho visual effects administrators, Jeong Seong-jin, Heo Dong-hyeok visual effects, Digital Idea. Examined at Busan Film Festival (Korean Cinema Today), March. 13, 2011. (Also in Vancouver, Hawaii film festivals.) Running time: 133 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

New 'Hugo' Poster: Asa Butterfield Meets Harold Lloyd [Moviefone Exclusive]

The new version of 'The Three Musketeers' may be the first screen iteration of the 17th Century epic that includes flamethrowers, a fleet of airships, and a Milady de Winter who bungee jumps and has ninja-like weapons skills. It's also in 3D. Other than that, however, Paul W.S. Anderson's take on the Alexandre Dumas classic is treading on awfully familiar ground. Since 1903, the story has been filmed dozens of times, and not just in France or Hollywood, but also in Mexico, Italy, the Soviet Union, Argentina, Egypt and Iran. There's even at least one porno version. So the 2011 film will have to fill some pretty big boots if it wants to join the list below, which traces 'The Three Musketeers' through some of its most memorable screen incarnations. 'The Three Musketeers' (2011) - Trailer No. 2 • 1921: This silent version was far from the earliest (there are at least four previous efforts), but it was the first to feature a star of the caliber of Douglas Fairbanks, the premier swashbuckler of the silent era. His D'Artagnan isn't as memorable as his Zorro or Thief of Baghdad, but he's still a lot of fun. • 1933: John Wayne's version is called 'The Three Musketeers,' but it's a modernization that's pretty much unrecognizable as an update of the Dumas tale. The heroes are aviators fighting swarthy villains in an Arabian desert. Wayne looks like he'd rather be on a horse. • 1935: Walter Abel plays D'Artagnan in a version generally considered lackluster, though it's clear that the 1948 version took a lot of inspiration from the film. It also took Ian Keith, who plays Richelieu henchman Rochefort in both movies. • 1939: For some reason, this musical comedy version is the most fondly remembered 'Three Musketeers' of Hollywood's golden era. Don Ameche plays it straight as D'Artagnan, but the three veteran musketeers are played by the Ritz Brothers. Future 'Titanic' star Gloria Stuart is on hand as Queen Anne (curiously, her lines are dubbed). Allan Dwan, director of several Fairbanks adventures, oversees a handsome, lavish production. • 1948: Gene Kelly has all the athleticism required of a cocky, young D'Artagnan, and Vincent Price makes for a deliciously evil Richelieu. (And yep, that's Angela Lansbury as Queen Anne.) Kelly's swordfighting footage gets reused three years later in the opening sequence of 'Singin' in the Rain.' • 1952: A sequel called 'At Sword's Point' features the grown children of the musketeers. Cornel Wilde is D'Artagnan's son, future 'Gilligan's Island' skipper Alan Hale Jr. is the son of Porthos (of course). In a modern touch, Athos's daughter is fiery Maureen O'Hara, who proves just as skilled with a sword as the guys. • 1973: This version is generally considered the best, thanks largely to Richard Lester's typically antic direction, a clever screenplay by George MacDonald Fraser (author of the Flashman novels), and an outstanding cast. Michael York is a bumbling young D'Artagnan, the irrepressible Oliver Reed is Athos, a dashing Richard Chamberlain is Aramis, and a wry Frank Finlay is Porthos. Raquel Welch is surprisingly funny in the ingenue role as Constance. And for hissable villains, you can't do better than Faye Dunaway as Milady de Winter, Christopher Lee as Rochefort, and Charlton Heston as Richelieu. Raucous and lively, it spawned two sequels, reuniting Lester, Fraser, and most of the same cast: 1974's 'The Four Musketeers' and 1989's 'The Return of the Musketeers.' • 1993: Made by Disney, this not-bad version features an unlikely cast of musketeers: Chris O'Donnell (D'Artagnan), Charlie Sheen (Aramis), Kiefer Sutherland (Athos) and Oliver Platt (Porthos). Among the villains, Rebecca De Mornay is the standout; Tim Curry should be having a lot more fun as Richelieu. The swordfighting is good, the humor overly broad, the dialogue anachronistically contemporary. Still, it's fun to watch Platt amusing himself or Sutherland brooding like a rapier-wielding Jack Bauer. • 2001: It's called 'The Musketeer' and centers primarily on D'Artagnan, though all four show up at least briefly, as played by relative no-name actors. (Star Justin Chambers eventually made good on TV's 'Grey's Anatomy.') As the queen, the iconic Catherine Deneuve lends the production more class, dignity, and French-ness than it warrants. Peter Hyams' movie exists mostly as an excuse for stunts and action set pieces; it's notable as the first Musketeers movie to use 'Matrix'-style wire fu. In that, it probably presages the 2011 Paul W.S. Anderson version. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman RELATED

Julianna Margulies and Dylan McDermott Changed Early Struggles With Wise Moves

Julianna Margulies and Dylan McDermott Changed Early Struggles With Wise Moves By Dany Margolies October 19, 2011 Photo by Blake Gardner Julianna Margulies and Dylan McDermott After various smaller sized roles, Julianna Margulies found fame as nurse Carol Hathaway on "ER" which is presently the star of "The Truly Amazing Wife." Dylan McDermott broke together with "Hamburger Hill" after which it "Steel Magnolias," eventually striking it huge as Bobby Donnell in "The Practice." The Two pals in contrast a few notes round the occasion of Back Stage's 50th anniversary, searching back around the own growing accomplishments.Back Stage: The thing that was your worst or oddest audition? Julianna Margulies: My oddest audition was relocating around the commercial for a lot of type of tourism company. They asked for me to use a bikini, after which it inside the auditionthey asked for me to improvise developing a hut round the beach with palm tree branches. I obtained close to the second branch and recognized how absurd everything was, therefore i selected up my stuff and basically mentioned, "I'm not appropriate with this,Inch and left. In my opinion that was 1990.Dylan McDermott: There's an occasion when I used to be who audition for "The Princess Bride." That was a existence-changing audition. I used to be in NY, which i felt like I really required to choose this role. Jane Jenkins was casting it with Jesse Hirshenson, who from that audition increased being large fans of mine. Anyway, it absolutely was for [director] Make the most of Reiner. It absolutely was the swashbuckler role that Mandy Patinkin got. However understood that we required to go full-scale with this particular role, therefore i made a decision, in Tom Cruise style, to leap around the conference table and wield a swordan imaginary sword, of courseand become this individual. It needed a lot of effort to actually begin the ground on top in the conference table and extremely not fall. However managed to get. I hopped round the conference table, I did so the whole swashbuckler factor, and so they jeered and believe it is the best factor. From that, they cast me in "Within the kind of Fire" and "Miracle on 34th Street" and "The Cowboy Way," and so they just increased being fans of mine. Nevertheless it was among people moments where they were like, "Oh, my God, this individual just must go" or "It had been a home run." It worked out, which i felt appreciate it was embarrassing however in the same time frame it labored in the strange way. Nevertheless it shown me that we always will need to go with this on some level.Back Stage: The thing that was the initial "luxury" item you bought if you started generating money becoming an actor? McDermott: I bought a 1988 Porsche Targa. In my opinion it blew my thoughts because I'd never made anything before. I had been elevated inadequate, with my grandmother we were living, like, on $100 each week. Which I bought attempted around the extender had, like, 60,000 miles about it. I've it today. It's among people novelty items I'll always remember about since it guarantees that I'd handled to obtain where I came from from. Literally, I used to be that guy who was simply moving pennies to live, and once i bought that vehicle it absolutely was among the finest occasions of my lifenot since it might be an automobile, it absolutely was due to the fact I'd labored so difficult which i'd attracted myself up by my bootstraps and indexed and scratched and did whatever you do around and may buy this Porsche, which was not necessarily throughout my craziest dreams.Margulies: The initial luxury item I bought with my first salary from acting was good hair conditioner!Back Stage: It's our 50th anniversary. The thing that was the best factor you've ever completed to make certain that you'll probably maintain business for just about any very very long time? McDermott: My philosophy around is actually "steady but very slow wins the race." In my opinion that, personally, the craft of acting always came first. I never increased being an actress to become uniform in order to become famous to be able to be on magazine covers. I went inside it because I really, truly loved it, after i do today. Which I usually maintained that philosophy throughout my career, that after I didn't enjoy it I'd stop it. And I have not dropped it. I've elevated minimizing, but I have not lost the passion for this, but that has always saved me even-keeled. Once I enter any kind of tailspin, I merely return for the work. But that's probably from my acting teacher, Sandy [Sanford] Meisner as well as the Neighborhood Playhouse, that trained me thatingrained inside me, coded in methe craft of acting might be the most important factor, and also the relaxation from the stuff is just smoke and mirrors.McDermott stars in "American Horror Story," Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Foreign exchange. Julianna Margulies and Dylan McDermott Changed Early Struggles With Wise Moves By Dany Margolies October 19, 2011 Julianna Margulies and Dylan McDermott PHOTO CREDIT Blake Gardner After various smaller sized roles, Julianna Margulies found fame as nurse Carol Hathaway on "ER" which is presently the star of "The Truly Amazing Wife." Dylan McDermott broke together with "Hamburger Hill" after which it "Steel Magnolias," eventually striking it huge as Bobby Donnell in "The Practice." The Two pals in contrast a few notes round the occasion of Back Stage's 50th anniversary, searching back on their own growing accomplishments.Back Stage: The thing that was your worst or oddest audition? Julianna Margulies: My oddest audition was relocating around the commercial for a lot of type of tourism company. They asked for me to use a bikini, after which it inside the auditionthey asked for me to improvise developing a hut round the beach with palm tree branches. I obtained close to the second branch and recognized how absurd everything was, therefore i acquired my stuff and basically mentioned, "I'm not appropriate with this,Inch and left. In my opinion that was 1990.Dylan McDermott: There's an occasion when I used to be who audition for "The Princess Bride." That was a existence-changing audition. I used to be in NY, which i felt like I really required to choose this role. Jane Jenkins was casting it with Jesse Hirshenson, who from that audition increased being large fans of mine. Anyway, it absolutely was for [director] Make the most of Reiner. It absolutely was the swashbuckler role that Mandy Patinkin got. However understood that we required to go full-scale with this particular role, therefore i made a decision, in Tom Cruise style, to leap around the conference table and wield a swordan imaginary sword, of courseand become this individual. It needed plenty of effort to actually begin the ground on top in the conference table and extremely not fall. However managed to get. I hopped round the conference table, I did so the whole swashbuckler factor, and so they jeered and believe it is the best factor. From that, they cast me in "Within the kind of Fire" and "Miracle on 34th Street" and "The Cowboy Way," and so they just increased being fans of mine. Nevertheless it was among people moments where they were like, "Oh, my God, this individual just must go" or "It had been a home run." It worked out, which i felt appreciate it was embarrassing but concurrently it labored in the strange way. Nevertheless it shown me that we always will need to go with this on some level.Back Stage: The thing that was the initial "luxury" item you bought if you started generating money becoming an actor? McDermott: I bought a 1988 Porsche Targa. In my opinion it blew my ideas because I'd never made anything before. I had been elevated insufficient, with my grandmother we were living, like, on $100 each week. Which I bought attempted around the extender had, like, 60,000 miles about it. I've it today. It's among people novelty items I'll always remember about because it guarantees that I'd handled to obtain where I came from from. Literally, I used to be that guy who was simply moving pennies to live, then when I bought that vehicle it absolutely was among the finest occasions of my lifenot since it might be an automobile, it absolutely was due to the fact I'd labored so desperately which i'd attracted myself up by my bootstraps and indexed and scratched and did whatever you do around and may buy this Porsche, which was not necessarily throughout my craziest dreams.Margulies: The initial luxury item I bought with my first salary from acting was good hair conditioner!Back Stage: It's our 50th anniversary. The thing that was the best factor you've ever completed to make certain that you'll probably be in operation for just about any very very long time? McDermott: My philosophy around is actually "steady but very slow wins the race." In my opinion that, personally, the craft of acting always came first. I never increased being an actress to become uniform to be able to be famous to be able to be on magazine covers. I went inside it because I truly, truly loved it, after i do today. Which I usually maintained that philosophy throughout my career, that after I didn't enjoy it I'd stop it. And I have not dropped it. I've elevated minimizing, but I have not lost the passion for this, but that has always saved me even-keeled. Once I enter any kind of tailspin, I merely go back to the task. But that's probably from my acting teacher, Sandy [Sanford] Meisner as well as the Neighborhood Playhouse, that trained me thatingrained inside me, coded in methe craft of acting is a vital factor, and also the relaxation from the stuff is just smoke and mirrors.McDermott stars in "American Horror Story," Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on Foreign exchange.

Actress Sues IMDb for $a million for Revealing Her Age

An un named actress is suing Amazon . com.com's IMDb for revealing her age, the NY Publish reviews.our editor recommendsCosta-Gavras planning for a Euro IMDbEnhanced IMDb.com Application Offers Complete Coverage of Movies, TV Projects "Within the entertainment industry, youth rules,Inch reads the suit, that was filed in Dallas federal court under "Jane Doe." IMDb relies in Dallas. PHOTOS: Hollywood's New Leading Ladies "If your are perceived as being 'over-the-hill,' i.e. approaching 40, it's extremely difficult to have an up-and-coming actress, like the complaintant, to obtain work." adds the suit. The lady doesn't list her age, but does reveal she's residing in Texas. PHOTOS: Hollywood's 10 Greatest-Compensated Stars She claims that IMDb acquired her personal data in 2008 when she activated towards the site's pay service, IMDbPro. "Soon after signing up to IMDbPro, complaintant observed that her legal birth date have been put into her public profile ... revealing towards the public the complaintant is a long time over the age of she looks," the suit states.

Shame Premieres At The LFF

Fassbender & McQueen in townThe first of MichaelFassbender's two sexy-crisis dramas at this year's BFILondonFilm Festival*, Shame, premiered on Friday night at the Vue West End, with Fassbender and director Steve McQueen in attendance.{London Film Festival 2011 - Shame Premiere}The pair, re-teaming after their collaboration on Hunger, tell the story of compulsive sex addict Brandon (Fassbender) as his sister Sissy (CareyMulligan) comes to visit. Both are damaged souls, and it's clear that sex is not the answer to either's problems. Mulligan, who's shooting TheGreatGatsby, sadly wasn't there tonight. Shame is out on January 13, 2012.*See also:A Dangerous Method.

Artificial Eye on 'Trishna' privileges

LONDON -- Brit indie distrib Artificial Eye has clicked up U.K. and Irish privileges for Michael Winterbottom's "Trishna." Pic, starring Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed, is really a contempo re-imagining of Thomas Hardy's "Tess from the D'Ubervilles" occur India, that informs the storyline from the boy of the wealthy property developer who starts a troubled relationship using the daughter of the autorickshaw owner. Acquisition comes in front of the pic's U.K. preem in the London Film Festival in a few days. Deal was discussed by Bankside Films' mind of selling and purchasers Stephen Kelliher and Artificial Eye Boss Louisa Dent. Winterbottom and Melissa Parmenter created the pic, that was funded by Bankside and also the now shuttered U.K. Film Council along with VTR Media Opportunities, Bob Film Sweden and Film i Huge using the support from the Swedish Film Institute. Pic preemed in the Toronto Film Festival recently. Artificial Eye is planning for a spring release for that pic in Blighty. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

Occupy Wall Street Protest Advances To Canada

TORONTO - Canadians are joining the Occupy Wall Street movement after plans were revealed with an Occupy Bay Street event in Toronto and elsewhere country wide a couple of days ago.our editor recommendsBrian Williams Talks Politics, Occupy Wall Street on 'Late Show' (Video)Kanye Visits Occupy Wall Street Protests PHOTOS: 10 Artists Dems and Republicans Prefer to Hate And Canadian news shops plan an entire-court press to cover the social media-fueled protests in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal patterned round the Wall Street protest, which started on Sept. 17. STORY: Kanye Visits Occupy Wall Street Protests Rogers Media mentioned its CityNews and CityNews Funnel, additionally to the r / c, covers the Canadian jobs planned with this particular Saturday. Elsewhere, Shaw Media mentioned its Global Television news teams will similarly cover the planned jobs country wide. STORY: Hollywood Chefs Join Occupy Wall Street Protests Already there's alerts against a possible repeat of mass busts that happened finally summer's G20 demos in Toronto and publish-Stanley Cup violence in Vancouver. STORY: Occupy Wall Street: Protesters Create Print Publication "On March. 15, another mass demonstration is going to Toronto incorporated within the Occupy Everywhere movement. Neither individuals of Toronto nor, I am certain, its police need to visit a repeat in the G20 weekend," Toronto blogger Justin Beach mentioned inside an open letter to Toronto police chief Bill Blair as well as the Toronto Police Service. STORY: Occupy Wall Street March to Swing by Home of News Corp. Boss Rupert Murdoch And Occupy Toronto protesters are actually informed being careful about "commercial media" shops like the CBC, CTV and Citytv. "... Enables keep in mind people media companies possess the effect of supporting the agenda of all the institutions like the Banks who've poisoned this society," indie media reporters aligned with HotSpinTV.com written round the Occupy Toronto website. Related Subjects Worldwide

Groundbreaking three dimensional Vision Eye Clinic Opens Thursday

Do three dimensional movies provide you with head aches?our editor suggests Imax Employs Marc p Grandpre to supervise three dimensional Home Viewing MarketingAngry Theater Proprietors Warn The new sony Over Decision to prevent Having to pay for three dimensional GlassesDolby Launches Type of Kid-Size three dimensional Glasses three dimensional Glasses Go Chic'Avatar' three dimensional glasses confiscated in Italia It works out individuals glasses is probably not the issue themselves, but couldpoint toward an analysis. To check that theory,THX, which certifies three dimensional shows in addition to seem systems, is joining withPacific University's College of Optometry to spread out a brand new clinic Thursday in Beaverton,Ore. It is made to function as a research facility while alsooffering walk-in services to deal with eye coordination problems. Based on the American Optometric Assn., between 3 million-9 million people haveproblems using their binocular vision and therefore are not able to align and concentrate botheyes precisely. Although a lot of compensate by depending on a single eye more thanthe other, watching a three dimensional movie can lead to discomfort and lightheadedness. Actually, it brings the actual problem into focus. THX provided $40,000 price of equipment to find the new three dimensional Vision Performance Eye Clinic ready to go. The ability will offer you binocular and stereopsisvision testing for kids and grown ups, develop further tests and share itsresearch using the entertainment and electronic devices industries so thatthey better comprehend the human reaction to three dimensional items. "Throughout the first rollout of three dimensional, there's been lots of misleading claims round the safe practices issues around three dimensional happen to be made, many of which has already established no clinical proof towards the negative claims," Ron Dean, THX senior very important personel and chair from the three dimensional@Home Consortium,told The Hollywood Reporter. "(Off-shore College is) supplying clinical research by creating a facility to supply eye care having a concentrate on stereo system vision issues which is not identified previously. Results will lead to any or all facets of three dimensional entertainment, but additionally to using three dimensional in education, and a number of commercial programs." The gear THX led features a JVC3D video projector and LG50-inch three dimensional lcd display. Additional participants include Apple and Nike. AOA and three dimensional@Home Consortium, that are supporting the clinic, also provide launched a study entitled "three dimensional within the Class: See Well, Learn Well." Related Subjects three dimensional

A Beautiful Valley (Emek Tiferet)

An Advitam (in France) release of a July August Prods., Les Films du Poisson production, with the participation of Arte, Cofinova, Orange Cinema, Keshet. Produced by Eilon Ratzkovsky, Yael Fogiel, Laetitia Gonzale, Yossi Uzrad, Yochanan Kredo, Guy Jacoel. Directed, written by Hadar Friedlich.With: Batia Bar, Gili Ben Ouzilio, Hadar Avigad, Ruth Geller, Eli Ben-Rey. (Hebrew dialogue)It's a shame controversy will dog "A Beautiful Valley," since Hadar Friedlich's debut tackles a forgotten subject with sensitivity, notwithstanding plot sidelines squeezed in to humanize the protag. The source of the ruckus isn't the story, about an elderly kibbutz founder unwilling to watch the movement die, but rather the poorly handled decision by the Jerusalem fest to revoke an award due to perceived conflict of interest. Though the pic has flaws and benefits from prior knowledge of the kibbutz scene, "Valley" deserves exposure and should be popular at Jewish/Israeli festivals. The kibbutz archive is in desperate need of restoration, but the community is nearly bankrupt and the leaders aren't prioritizing the past. The same is happening to the increasingly elderly residents, including Hanna (Batia Bar), a tough, outwardly cold woman who gave her life to the ideal of kibbutz life and can't bear to see it crumble. Friedlich tosses in a younger woman (Hadar Avigad) who seeks out Hanna's company, and an elderly rival (Ruth Geller), but both figures are too obvious as softening agents. A still camera and handsome long shots emphasize the tranquility of the land.Camera (color), Talia Galon; editors, Nelly Quettier, Friedlich; music, Uri Ophir; production designer, Shunit Aharoni; costume designer, Zmira Ratzkovsky. Reviewed at San Sebastian Film Festival (Zabaltegi New Directors), Sept. 21, 2011 (Also in Jerusalem Film Festival -- competing.) Running time: 89 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com