Bill Condon News

Continuing Lionsgate's (NYSE: LGF) home entertainment and box office leadership in young adult franchises, Summit Entertainment's global blockbuster THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2 sold an estimated 3.85 million combined DVD and Blu-ray units in its home entertainment launch over the weekend

TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, the final chapter of The Twilight Saga, will be released on Blu-ray Disc (plus Digital Copy and Ultraviolet), 2-disc DVD (plus Digital Copy and Ultraviolet), Video On Demand and Digital Download today, March 2, 2013 from Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE company.

Here is the chance to discover even more of the blockbuster film when The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Extended Edition, featuring eight minutes of never-before-seen footage, debuts only on Blu-ray Disc (plus Digital Copy and UV), DVD (plus Digital Copy and UV) and Digital Download today, March 2nd from Summit Entertainment, a Lionsgate company.

DREAMGIRLS starring Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover and Beyonce Knowles, airs as the 'ABC Today Movie of the Week,' TODAY, FEBRUARY 23 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Largely responsible for the movie musical revolution of the 21st century, setting the stage first with their mega-successful work on TV in the 1990s like GYPSY, CINDERELLA and ANNIE, then, with their feature film entries since - beginning with CHICAGO and continuing with HAIRSPRAY and many more - executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron have bridged the gap between Broadway and Hollywood like no other producers - and, all the while, on their own terms. Opening up about a vast array of projects, ranging from the aforementioned modern classic TV musicals all the way through to the films and stage shows - successful revivals of PROMISES, PROMISES and HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING included - and their affiliation with NBC's musical drama series SMASH, Zadan and Meron paint a vivid portrait displaying their fierce dedication to the performing arts and desire for excellence in all of their many, many endeavors. Plus, most importantly, Zadan and Meron clue us in on what we can anticipate from this Sunday's Academy Awards telecast, which they are producing - such as their experiences collaborating with controversial triple-threat host Seth MacFarlane, amassing the starriest assortment of musical performers in Oscar history (Barbra Streisand, Adele, Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jennifer Hudson among the performers announced so far), creating spectacular tributes to both James Bond in his fiftieth year on film and the modern movie musical revolution (showcasing no less than the reunions of cast members from CHICAGO, DREAMGIRLS and this year's multi-nominated hit LES MISERABLES) as well as what will make this show truly unique. Additionally, Zadan and Meron shed some light on their current and future plans and productions, among them: a BONNIE & CLYDE miniseries for the History Channel starring Emile Hirsch; the currently-running second season of NBC's musical drama series SMASH; two original movie musicals in development and original stage projects, too. All of that, memories of the remarkable LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME & MY SHADOWS, Lifetime's record-breaking broadcast of a new STEEL MAGNOLIAS, comments on DROP DEAD DIVA's recent cancellation, news on the upcoming e-book edition of Zadan's peerless SONDHEIM & CO. biography, the NBC TV version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC starring Carrie Underwood and much, much more!

Black Sheep Management & Productions and Firefly: Theater & Films will present the third annual iteration of Unscreened, a lively evening of four world-premiere short plays by some of Hollywood's fastest-rising writers and featuring a multi-star cast, opening Sunday, March 3 at the Lillian Theater.

La Jolla Playhouse announces a fifth production for its 2013/14 season: the world premiere of The Tallest Tree, a new play with music written and performed by Daniel Beaty (Emergency, Through the Night), directed by Moises Kaufman (I Am My Own Wife, The Laramie Project). A co-production with Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Tallest Tree will run in the Playhouse's Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre October 9 - November 3, 2013. The piece is produced in association with Tectonic Theater Project.

DreamWorks Studios is pleased to announce that, through their existing collaboration with David Garrett's Mister Smith Entertainment to represent DreamWorks Studios' films for Europe, the Middle East and Africa

DREAMGIRLS starring Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover and Beyonce Knowles, airs as the "ABC Saturday Movie of the Week," FEBRUARY 23 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will produce, in association with La Jolla Playhouse, a re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show. Directed by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, the musical will play at La Jolla Playhouse November 5 through December 17 and will play the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater in spring 2014, according to an equity casting notice. The musical features book and lyrics by Bill Russell and music by Henry Krieger who will revise the show before its debut at La Jolla.

TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, the final chapter of The Twilight Saga, will be released on Blu-ray Disc (plus Digital Copy and Ultraviolet), 2-disc DVD (plus Digital Copy and Ultraviolet), Video On Demand and Digital Download on Saturday, March 2, 2013 from Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE company.

This month, QUEER NOT COOL explores gay authors and gay authors that inspired them.

Film Independent co-presidents Sean Mc Manus and Josh Welsh jointly announced that filmmaker Mary Sweeney (The Straight Story, Baraboo) has been elected as the new sitting Chair of its Board of Directors.

This month, QUEER NOT COOL explores gay authors and gay authors that inspired them.

According to an Equity casting notice, the revised version of the show will include some new characters- 'Auntie/Loretta' and 'Sir/Todd Browning.' While the latter seems to be a similar to 'The Boss,' who sang the opening song in the original production, the other is described as 'the woman who saved the twins from abandonment but began to display them as curiosities for money.' Additional new characters will include a Texas lawyer named 'Martin Arnold,' and a vaudeville performer named 'Ray.'

Nominees for the 33rd Annual RAZZIE Awards, satirizing the Worst Achievements in Film for 2012, include several Repeat Offenders, returning for more pie-in-the-face/light-hearted joshing in the one Tinsel Town trophy derby no one wants to win.

Twihards might be disappointed to know that the only formal recognition the final installment in the TWILIGHT saga will likely receive is a Razzie. And a lot of them, if the number of nominations it was (dis)honored with is any indication. Read: The film was nominated in every category.

Here is the chance to discover even more of the blockbuster film when The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Extended Edition, featuring eight minutes of never-before-seen footage, debuts only on Blu-ray Disc (plus Digital Copy and UV), DVD (plus Digital Copy and UV) and Digital Download on Saturday March 2nd from Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE company.

SHOWTIME will be available in over 80 million households for a Free Preview Weekend from Friday, January 11 through Sunday, January 13, the network's biggest free preview audience ever. The network currently attracts 22 million subscribers and will be available to 58 million more, for one weekend only. Viewers across the country will have the opportunity to sample the premium network's award-winning programming on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME HD, SHOWTIME On Demand and SHOWTIME ANYTIME. The Free Preview weekend will include the series premieres of the critically-acclaimed hit series SHAMELESS, HOUSE OF LIES and CALIFORNICATION, live offerings from SHOWTIME Sports including ShoBox: The New Generation and STRIKEFORCE, and the television premieres of the blockbuster hit The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I and The Iron Lady, starring Meryl Streep in her Oscar winning role.

Today we are talking to a tremendously talented triple-threat star all about her many recent and upcoming endeavors, including the forthcoming feature films ADDICTED, 1982 and THE LAST LETTER, as well as the pilot for a new TV series, GUILTY, and, of course, her debut solo album project - the magnetic and beautiful Sharon Leal. In addition to discussing many aspects of her films to date and her starry assortment of co-stars and collaborators on them - Jennifer Hudson, Bill Condon, Bernie Mac, Samuel L. Jackson, Pam Grier, Chris Brown, McG and Cuba Gooding, Jr. included - Leal and I also discuss her theatrically-attuned work thus far in her career, having appeared on Broadway in RENT, as well as in starring in BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, regional work and in a prominent featured role as part of the big screen film adaptation of DREAMGIRLS. Plus, Leal recounts her fruitful artistic and romantic relationship with recent fellow InDepth InterView participant, choreographer/director Paul Becker, and also outlines her plans for the future, near and far, as she anticipates continuing work on her solo album project and promoting her many current projects while taking a temporary holiday break - all of that and much, much more awaits!