Sony Pictures Entertainment News

RIALTO_CHATTER_Patrick_Page_to_Take_Over_Green_Goblin_in_SPIDERMAN_20010101 Today, Julie Taymor was honored by New Dramatists for a Lifetime of Acheivement at the Marriot Marquis Hotel in Times Square. A topic the director couldn't avoid, according to the New York Times: the status of the upcoming SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark musical, which has experienced significant delays and cast changes due to a large finaincial fall out last fall.

The Village Voice announced today that the hit Broadway musical FELA! will perform at the 55th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards on Monday, May 17, 2010, at Webster Hall. FELA!-which is produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, among others-is a musical based on the life and music of the iconic African composer and performer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Michael Riedel is reporting in the New York Post this morning that GRINCH star Patrick Page has been offered the role of Green Goblin in the upcoming SPIDER-MAN musical, replacing Alan Cumming who recently dropped out from the cast.

The top-rated and quirky comedic drama series on Lifetime TV comes to DVD June 1st when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts Drop Dead Diva: Season One. This unique series from Sony Pictures Television which was a network surprise hit from last summer, stars Brooke Elliott (Broadway's 'Taboo') as a shallow wannabe model who dies in a sudden accident only to find her soul resurfacing in the body of a brilliant, plus-size and recently deceased attorney, Jane. Comedian Margaret Cho (TV's 'All American Girl') also stars in the series which features guest appearances by Rosie O'Donnell (The Rosie O'Donnell Show), Paula Abdul (TV's 'American Idol'), Tim Gunn (TV's 'Project Runway'), Liza Minnelli (Cabaret, Arthur), Sharon Lawrence (TV's 'Monk'), Kathy Najimy (TV's 'King of the Hill'), Delta Burke (TV's 'Designing Women') and Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Drop Dead Diva: Season One contains exclusive bonus content including short films, deleted scenes and all-new behind-the-scenes featurettes. The DVD will be available for $39.95.

With 11 Tony ® Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Director of a Musical & Best Choreography for Bill T. Jones, the producers of Fela! have announced plans for a groundbreaking domestic and international tour of the critically acclaimed production launching in the fall of 2011. Lead producer Stephen Hendel has enlisted CAMI Spectrum's Margaret Selby in association with CAMI Theatricals' Gary McAvay to book the tour in the following US cities: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tempe, and Washington. International engagements in Amsterdam, Melbourne, Paris, Rotterdam, Sydney and Toronto will also be scheduled.

Julie Taymor tells New York Magazine that regarding SPIDER-MAN Turn Off the Dark opening in the fall: 'We're doing it.'

Make sure the kids are in bed because Henson puppets are about to unleash their inner tabloid personalities as GSN (Game Show Network) debuts LATE NIGHT LIARS. The original new late night comedy game show, produced by Henson Alternative, is set in the glamorous, cocktail-soaked world of five outrageous puppets - who also happen to be celebrities. Actor-comedian Larry Miller ('10 Things I Hate About You,' 'Best In Show') serves as ringleader, er, host of the late-night shenanigans. LATE NIGHT LIARS features the brilliant puppet design of Henson Alternative, a label of The Jim Henson Company for content specifically and exclusively for adults. LATE NIGHT LIARS premieres on Thursday, June 10 at 11 PM (ET/PT), only on GSN.

Nominations for the American Theatre Wing's 64th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 4, 2010 by Broadway Star Lea Michele and Tony Award Nominee Jeff Daniels.

Nine of America's smartest (and bravest) celebrities will face off in the 'Jeopardy!' Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Tournament. The tournament semi-finals and final competition airs the week of May 3.

The Village Voice announced today that the hit Broadway musical FELA! will perform at the 55th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards on Monday, May 17, 2010, at Webster Hall. FELA!-which is produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, among others-is a musical based on the life and music of the iconic African composer and performer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Fela!, the critically acclaimed new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening), with a book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones. Sahr Ngaujah and Kevin Mambo play the title character at alternate performances, while the world renowned Antibalas and other members of the NYC Afrobeat community, under the direction of Aaron Johnson, perform Kuti's rousing music live onstage.

According to a report from Entertainment Weekly, Alan Cumming has cut ties with SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off The Dark. Cumming was to play the musical's villain, the Green Goblin. Cumming elected to depart the production this weekend, according to the report, due to new scheduling conflicts with The Good Wife, for which his role was recently expanded.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's premier Asian American theatre, will recognize Pixar Films with the EWP Visionary Award on their feature animation film Up. Jordan Nagai, the voice of Russell from the animated film Up, will be recognized with the Breakout Performance Award at East West Players 44th Anniversary Visionary Awards and Silent Auction, which takes place at the Hilton Universal City on Monday, April 19, 2010.

Everyone brings baggage into a relationship-but only on GSN's new dating game show BAGGAGE do three contestants and one 'dater' bring it all to the very first date! World-famous talk show host Jerry Springer-a man who has seen plenty of baggage in his 19 years as host of 'The Jerry Springer Show'-makes his GSN debut as host of BAGGAGE, revealing what people are willing to put up with in the name of finding love. BAGGAGE is a daily strip show airing Monday through Friday at 6:30 P.M. ET/PT, with 40 episodes running through June 11. BAGGAGE premieres on Monday, April 19 at 6:30 P.M. (ET/PT), only on GSN.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today that recording artist Adam Lambert will perform at the 21st Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented in Los Angeles by ABSOLUT® Vodka on April 17, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

According to Broadway scoopster BroadwayGirlNYC on her Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/BroadwayGirlNYC) the rigging for SPIDER-MAN: Turn Off the Dark is currently being put up in the Hilton Theater. See the image of the Hilton Theater below, courtesy of BroadwayGirlNYC!

Roger Friedman of Showbiz411.com is reporting that producer David Garfinkle has told him that Spider-Man will be ready to make its Broadway debut this fall and that an announcement will be made soon regarding the shows schedule, as well a casting announcement as to who will replace Evan Rachel Wood.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's premier Asian American theatre, will recognize Pixar Films with the EWP Visionary Award on their feature animation film Up. Jordan Nagai, the voice of Russell from the animated film Up, will be recognized with the Breakout Performance Award at East West Players 44th Anniversary Visionary Awards and Silent Auction, which takes place at the Hilton Universal City on Monday, April 19, 2010.

Syndication's top two shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! were renewed through the 2013-2014 season, it was announced today by John Nogawski, President of CBS Television Distribution.

Principal photography began Friday, March 26, in New York on Columbia Pictures'/Sony Pictures Animation's hybrid live-action and animated family comedy, The Smurfs, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, Hannah Minghella, president of Sony Pictures Animation and Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures.