CAA signs B'way's Fierstein, Tiffany

Harvey Fierstein and John Tiffany, some legiters with Broadway tuners round the docket this spring, have recently signed with CAA.Fierstein written it for "Newsies," Disney Theatrical Prods.' much-famous tuner adaptation of the 1992 box office flop. The Broadway transfer opens in March, following its regional preem this year's season in Nj.He's also in the office round the musical version of "Kinky Boots" with tunesmith Cyndi Lauper. That project is tentatively concentrating on a tryout this fall before a Broadway bow later inside the 2012-13 season.Fierstein is probably the handful of theater folk to own won a Tony in four different groups, including play ("Torch Song Trilogy"), book from the musical ("La Cage aux Folles"), actor in the play ("Torch Song") and actor in the tuner ("Hairspray").Tiffany, meanwhile, helms "Once," happens version in the 2006 indie pic that will open round the Rialto in March undertaking a properly-received Off Broadway bow. Director initially made his mark in Gotham with "Black Watch," the world touring hit that shown popular enough to warrant two return visits to NY.Ahead for Tiffany can be a staging of "Macbeth" that will star Alan Cumming as both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, in the production that preems this summer season incorporated within the Lincoln subsequently subsequently Center Festival.Fierstein remains repped by manager Richie Jackson at Jackson Group Entertainment by attorney Ronald Fierstein. Tiffany, meanwhile, is repped in U.K. by Casarotto Ramsay and Affiliate marketers. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Hilmar Gudjonsson: From football to 'Flags'

Hilmar GudjonssonA former football player, Hilmar Gudjonsson first appeared on-camera in a small role in Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers." An enviable debut, but the 27-year-old shrugs it off, saying, "Well, originally I was just an extra, but I ended up getting one scene to do, in pretty odd circumstances. So I got to meet Clint, and to act opposite Ryan Philippe. It was pretty cool -- though afterwards," he laughs, "I felt like I'd had a heart attack!" And those odd circumstances? "Well, there were about 600 extras in all, and many of them had been complaining that they weren't being treated very well, so lots quit. After two weeks there were only about 150 left. And in fact, after another week I actually thought of quitting as well. But that same day they called me in and asked me to read. And suddenly I'm in the movie." After graduating from theater school in 2010, Gudjonsson was hired by the Reykjavik City Theater, and has since appeared in four productions. He took his first cinematic lead in Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson's dramedy "Either Way," which recently earned kudos at the Turin fest, and can soon be seen in Oskar Thor Axelsson pic "Black's Game." Asked whose career he would most like to emulate, he responds with a thoughtful, surprising choice: "I'm really fond of Kate Winslet, to be honest. She's kind of my favorite -- not just because she's intelligent, but because she seems to give everything she's got, in every role she does. And that's fascinating and inspiring to watch." Return to the Berlin Preview >> Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

"Iron" forges boffo B.O.

Meryl Streep's Globes win keeps 'The Iron Lady' a hot ticket.In the well-timed election coup which will carry out the lady that the film relies proud, the Weinstein Co. effectively extended Margaret Thatcher biopic "The Iron Lady" to 802 locations for just about any four-day domestic weekend take of $6.6 000 0000, assigned off by star Meryl Streep nabbing a Golden Globe on her behalf performance since the former British pm. Weinstein timed the expansion to coincide while using Jan. 15 Globes ceremony, getting sent the pic in limited release by having an Oscar-being qualified run 12 ,. 30. Up to now, the pic has totalled $7.8 million in your area. "Iron Lady" should still play nicely by way of the Oscars, by getting an additional B.O. boost if Streep is nominated. Nevertheless, the pic, directed by Phyllida Lloyd ("Mamma Mia!"), will probably be hard-pressed copying el born area office success of last year's Weinstein-released biopic about British royalty. Oscar champion "The King's Speech" cumed $138.8 million Stateside, and reviews for "Iron Lady" were not as glowing as people for "Speech." Overseas, "Iron Lady" showed up at $19.5 million in the reported eight areas. Inside the U.K., the film has totalled north of $8 million, then Australia, which has brought $6.7 million. Close to the Commonwealth, "Iron Lady" is positioned to bow throughout February in South usa (Feb. 3) and France (Feb. 15), searching to learn from potential Oscar attention. Major Asian areas, for instance Columbia and Japan, could possibly get the pic between late February and early March. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Comedies succeeding throughout Europe

In Italy's 'Immaturi - il viaggio,' former senior high school pals reunite on the Greek island. ROME -- Because the Eurozone angsts within the debt crisis, a load of local comedies is scoring mightily in France, Italia, The country and Germany, supplying comic relief for auds, and progressively crossing edges -- while deteriorating Hollywood market-be part of several areas.Riding the crest from the Euro-laffers wave is Gaumont's Gallic phenom "Intouchables" (Untouchable) Variety (Jan. 16-22), that has cumed some $140 million, and counting, over 10 frames in French-speaking areas. Pic made its first auspicious non-Gallic outing, bowing in Germany at No. 4 via Senator, on Jan. 5 and it has since pressed to the top charts, topping debutante "The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo," having a total take of some $8 million.Offered to 40 areas, the comedy in regards to a stuffy quadriplegic aristocrat and also the black ex-disadvantage he employs in the Paris projects, appears to validate the adage that auds use feel-good movies being an antidote to economic worries.In Gaul, "Intouchables" along with other hit comedies, for example Dany Boon's "Thanks for visiting the Stays" followup "Absolutely nothing to Declare" drove box office figures to some 45-year a lot of 215 million tickets offered this year. At the same time, the Hollywood share of the market in France dropped, although slightly, to 46% from 47.6% this year.Laffers were the primary driver for that muscular increase in French film exports, up 26% this year.At the same time, this year and early 2012, homegrown comedies happen to be scoring mightily across continental Europe. And recently some are even beginning to visit, though outdoors Gaul, comedy continues to be largely a nearby delicacy.In Italia, a clutch of comedies drove the neighborhood box office share to almost 40% this year, just like Hollywood's Italo market-share dropped to 48% from 60%.The most recent Italian hit is Medusa's "Immaturi -- il viaggio," about a lot of thirtysomething former high-school pals getting back on the Greek isle. This follow up to 2011 hit comedy "Immaturi" bowed numero uno in Italia on Jan. 4. Talks they are under method for a French discharge of the initial, in addition to sales of remake privileges in Gaul and also the U.S.Spearheading the Italo comedy charge is Medusa's "Che bella giornata" (Exactly what a Beautiful Day), a mildly politically incorrect laffer starring TV comic Checco Zalone like a Milan security officer using the hots for any sexy Arab, who's an ambitious terrorist. Pic gained $57 million in your area, almost double the amount final "Harry Potter" pic at the beginning of the entire year, being Italy's top all-time local grosser and top 2011 draw. Nine Italo comedies were one of the top-20 grossers in Italia this past year, including Paolo Sorrentino's British-language Sean Penn-starrer "This Should Be the area.InchIn The country, where Hollywood photos stepped, the very best movie this year was three dimensional "Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis," the 4th installment within the "Torrente" comedy franchise, dedicated to a adorable, although sexist and racist, lowlife cop. It arrested $25.5 million via Warner Bros, in front of the latest "Harry Potter" and "Pirates from the Caribbean." "Brain Drain 2," in regards to a gang of disaffected The spanish language youths who wreak havoc at Harvard U., considered in at No. 3, via Universal."Torrente 4" continues to be offered by Buenos Aires-based FilmSharks Intl. to a number of areas, including France, Italia, Russia and every one of South America. It's been optioned for any remake by New Line within the U.S. and La Petite Reine in France. In Germany, eight from the top ten game titles this year praised from Hollywood but a clutch of local laffers, co-created by resident arms from the majors, obtained mightily, most particularly Til Schweiger's Warner Bros.-created megahit "Kokowaah," which rang-up $39 million via Warner Intl. As the merits of the vehicle for that Teutonic celebrity might explore translation, Schweiger's 2007 hit "Rabbit Without Ears" could get the Hollywood treatment after Newmarket acquired remake privileges this year.What exactly would be the elements that may make Euro comedies travel?"It is dependent around the primary story and also the acting, instead of on dialogue-driven jokes, which can be too local," states Guido Rud, topper of FilmSharks Intl.Adds Gaumont mind of intl. sales, Cecile Gaget: "The only method comedies can mix edges is that if the script steers a path between situation comedy, strong tales along with a large slice of emotion. For those who have details which are too related to specific culture, it does not travel."Gaget notes that Gallic megahit "Thanks for visiting the Stays" did only OK outdoors France however, Italo remake "Benvenuti al Sud" did boffo biz this past year, and there's lots of buzz now a good Italo follow up to "Sud" entitled "Benvenuti al Nord" scheduled for release via Medusa Jan. 18.Culturally specific elements are just what appear to click with Men and women nowadays, particularly when it involves triggering belly laughs. That might help explain the general below-componen returns in Europe of the slew of Hollywood romantic comedies, including "New Year's Eve," "NsaInch and "Go By Using It.InchBut you will find additional factors for that falloff."Hollywood is making the films it really wants to make, which operate in the worldwide marketplace although not everywhere," states producer Riccardo Tozzi, mind of Italy's film association Anica. He adds U.S. galleries tend to be more centered on emerging marketplaces in Asia and also the Middle East than you are on Europe.Meanwhile, after Germany, the following stop around the "Intouchables" tour is going to be The country at the begining of March, via distrib A Contracorriente, then Medusa in Italia and Gaga in Japan, among other areas. Pic's challenge would be to best record-breaking "Stays," fitness center abroad.Gaget recalls that after "Intouchables" world-preemed at San Sebastian last fall, a tale about unemployment within the pic had The spanish language auds laughing aloud. U.S. auds is going to be let in around the joke later in 2012 through the Weinstein Co., that also comes with an British-language remake in works together with original producers Quad and Gaumont. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com

Judge Dredd creator talks new film

It's really no secret the response to Judge Dredd, the Sylvester Stallone-starring adaptation from the famous 2000AD comic, was moderate at best once the film hit our screens in 1995.However, that has not stopped Lionsgate from reanimating the franchise as Dredd, by which Karl Urban gets the helmet from his grizzled predecessor. And based on Judge Dredd creator John Wagner, this version is a much more faithful to the source material."Dredd houses in around the essential job of knowing," states Wagner. "Instant justice inside a violent future city... The plot is all about Dredd and the world. You can't really cover every factor of the smoothness and the city. Possibly which was among the foibles from the first film. They attempted to embellish and wound up without a great deal.InchInchThey told the incorrect story," states Wagner, warming to his theme. "It did not obtain that much related to Dredd the smoothness as you may know him. I do not think Stallone would be a bad Dredd, although it could have been better and given him more cred if he had not revealed his face. He only agreed to be Dredd within the wrong story. I envy their budget, though. A few of the CGI was excellent.InchWagner is much more positive concerning the new adaptation. "I love the stars," he states. "They are well cast plus they handled their parts well. Olivia Thirlby is ideal as Anderson, the youthful psi judge. She provides the character a touching vulnerability. Karl Urban won't remove his helmet and won't hug his co-star."Directed by Vantage Point's Pete Travis, Dredd will open in america on 21 September 2012, having a United kingdom date not yet been confirmed.

'Resident Evil: Retribution' Trailer Teases A Look Into Alice's Past

Umbrella Corporation is at it again. The first trailer for "Resident Evil: Retribution," the fifth installment in the "Resident Evil" film series, has hit the web, and it looks like the zombie-killing is back and better than ever. The movie follows leading lady Alice, played by Milla Jovovich, as she awakens in the heart of Umbrella's operations facility. The survivor continues to hunt down those responsible for the T-virus outbreak, a search that takes her across the world. The synopsis for the movie reveals that the flick eventually culminates in a "mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything she once thought to be true." Sounds like retribution is indeed in order. The opening minutes of the Sony commercial trailer tease that this movie might act as something of a prequel to the franchise while still progressing the present day story. We know from the previous "Resident Evil" films that the world as we know it is gone, but those "My World" commercials show what looks like a futuristic Earth before the T-virus turned most of the world's population into undead monsters. Those, coupled with the flashbacks we see in the trailer, seem to imply we're going to find out as much about Alice's past in this movie as we will her future. That's at least what's teased here and in the movie's synopsis. In the end, though, we're most excited about the long-anticipated return of Michelle Rodriguez to the franchise. "Resident Evil: Retribution" hits theaters on September 14. In addition to Jovovich and Rodriguez, the movie stars Sienna Guillory, Kevin Durand, Shawn Roberts and Colin Salmon. It is the third film in the "Resident Evil" franchise to be directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. What did you think of this new trailer? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

'Beauty And The Beast' Voice Cast: Where Are They Now?

For those of us who grew up during the "Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast" era of Disney films, the re-releasing of these childhood classics hits on some very nostalgic nerves. At least for this writer, anyway. I have very specific childhood memories tied to all of those animated classics and am looking forward to seeing "Beauty and the Beast 3D" during its limited release (which began today). Anyway, in thinking about the magic involved in this film - the first animated movie ever to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar- I can't help but wonder about the talented voice actors who brought the characters to life. Where are they now? Click through to see what the actors who brought Belle, Beast and Mrs. Potts to life are up to now. Paige O'Hara - Belle: O'Hara, a trained Broadway actress, has been working with Disney since she won the role of Belle. She has voiced Belle in all the direct-to-video sequels and specials, as well as the "Kingdom of Hearts" video game series. O'Hara had a minor role in 2007's animated/live-action blend "Enchanted," and recently revealed to NBC's Popcorn Biz blog that she's working as a painter for Disney now. Robby Benson - Beast: Benson also continued doing voice work for Disney as the "Beast" in various spin-offs and TV specials as well as other voice work for various animated TV shows and video games. He balanced his voice work with a very successful career directing for television. His credits include episodes of "Friends," "Ellen," "The Naked Truth," and "8 Simple Rules." Benson has worked as a professor at NYU's prestigious Tisch School and recently collaborated with his daughter Lyric Benson on her debut album. Of being cast as Beast, Benson told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2010 that the role was perfect for him. "In my entire career, I would say I have never been so perfectly typecast. [Not only in the voice] but also, as far as the personality, it's probably closest to me of anything I've ever played." Angela Lansbury - Mrs. Potts: Lansbury is one of the most beloved and celebrated actresses in the business, from her critically-acclaimed performances on Broadway, to her iconic role in "Murder, She Wrote," to her countless film roles and other voice acting work. Lansbury has won five Tony Awards, six Golden Globes, 19 Emmys and been nominated three times for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The woman has not stopped working since she began her career in 1944. David Ogden Stiers - Cogsworth: In addition to recognition for his work as the by-the-book, uptight Cogsworth, Stiers is perhaps most well-known for his role in M*A*S*H. He has worked steadily in film and television in a variety of roles as an actor and voice actor. He is also a very accomplished conductor and is currently associate conductor of the Newport Symphony Orchestra in Oregon. Jerry Orbach - Lumiere: Orbach was a celebrated and beloved actor on the screen and stage. Long before landing the role of saucy French candlestick Lumiere, Orbach appeared on Broadway, originating the iconic roles like Billy Flynn ("Chicago") and Julian Marsh ("42 Street"). He is perhaps most well-known as Detective Lennie Briscoe on "Law and Order." Orbach passed away in 2004. Richard White - Gaston: After giving his very memorable performance as hotheaded, narcissistic villain Gaston, White has all but disappeared from the public eye, but he did resurface briefly in 2001 and 2002 to reprise his Gaston character for Disney's "House of Mouse." Who was your favorite character? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter!