DT's B&P: They're ALL Hollywood Producers To Watch

Some exciting entertainment tidbits from our alumni film producers...

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89)'s Sorority Row (as reported HERE on DT ) debuts today.

The film is about "A group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked by a serial killer."

Past posts about Mike's film projects here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Adding to our "Alumni on Important Lists" series, husband and wife team, Elizabeth Banks (C'96) and Max Handelman (C'95, AEPi) are now 2 of Variety's "Top 10 Producers To Watch".

More Here!

More of Liz's busy actress life HERE

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Check back in weeks to come!  I have a ton of developing stories from Penn alumni film producers!

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DT's B&P: Alumni Dealings with Quentin Tarantino, Russell Crow and John Legend

Transitioning now out of our "Delicious Leftovers" series to bring you some exciting entertainment tidbits from our alumni and undergrads:

• Lots of celebrity dealing with our alumni this week
• She's casting For A new TV show
• She will be starring in a new thriller as a prisoner
• A Hot Los Angeles Penn event you'll want to go to on September 1!
• Free music!
  

Click HERE for the scoop!

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"Reality Hell", the faux-reality show that Lesley Wolff (C'93, Bloomers) casts for, recently debuted on E! (Sunday nights).

"Most reality shows have people looking for their 15 minutes of fame. Reality Hell will have people wanting to give their's back! The reality genre has all but taken over television programming, making stars out of regular people. Now E! is turning the tables on all those reality-star wannabes by staging a show where the whole cast is in on an act to set up one unknowing reality-show contestant. Staged scenarios include an over-the-top modeling competition with extreme challenges, wacky contestants and insane judges and a family swap that will have the mom trying to find a way to escape the crazy Hollywood clan she's been placed with. This summer on E!, Fake is the new Reality!"

I've watched this show and the part I look forward to is the end of the show at the moment when the actors tell the victim they're on "Reality Hell" and the person that is being pranked doesn't know what "Reality Hell" means until they realize all the actors are laughing at them.  It's briliant!

My past posts about stand-up and casting director Lesley Wolff HERE

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Jordana Horn's (C'95) interviews Quentin Tarantino (!) about his new film, Inglorious Basterds HERE

...Jordana also reviews the film for the Wall Street Journal. Read all about "Torah and Tarantino" HERE

...And speaking of Inglorious Basterds, read the early review HERE that Brian Tran (W'10) wrote last May for our Penn in Cannes '09 series

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Elizabeth Banks (C'96) to star with Russell Crow in Next Three Days

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Liz "will play the lead role of Laura, a woman who is imprisoned for a murder she claims she didn't commit, as her husband, the recently cast Russell Crowe, desperately tries to vindicate her."

I will tell you I recently saw Liz in the thriller The Uninvited. Liz definitely plays evil real good... in that she creeped me out real good.   She reminded me of Rebecca De Mornay in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

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John Legend (C'99, Counterparts) will be performing at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday, September 1 at 7:30PM.  Join PennClubLA for this fantastic event.  Tickets can be purchased on the PennClubLA website HERE  Come hear great music and network with new people.

+ For more information about his tour, click HERE

+ More of my posts about John Legend and his appearances at Penn HERE

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Speaking of John Legend, Malik Smith (C'10), a similar sounding (undergraduate!) artist I covered HERE is giving all of us his 1st single "Crazy" for free HERE

+ More of my DT Music posts HERE

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Hollywood Bits and Pieces: Their New Upcoming TV Shows & Films

Some recent juicy Penn Hollywood alumni tidbits for y'all...

Click HERE for the scoop!

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• Elizabeth Banks (C'96) has signed on for a potentially recurring role on ABC's critically-praised new fall sitcom, "Modern Family". More HERE

• Todd Lieberman (C'95) will be producing a film based on the comic book "Alibi". More HERE

• Speaking of Liz and Todd above, have you seen the new poster for their upcoming film Surrogates?

• "Harold and Kumar" creators Jon Hurwitz (W'00) and Hayden Schlossberg will be directing the comedy "One Night Stan".   Per The Hollywood Reporter, '"Stan" plays out a scenario about which many men fantasize on the cusp of marriage. When Stan learns his fiancee, Julie, has had more sexual partners than he, he gets her blessing for one night to play catch-up. Unfortunately, his plans for a sex buffet don't come together quite the way he had hoped."'
  

...Actually, Jon will be working on this project with Mike Karz (C'89, W'89), another Penn alum who will be in part producing the film.

My past "Hollywood Bits and Pieces" posts HERE

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DT HB&P: His Big Job Change, Their New Films, Shows & Channel, She's a Broadway Doll

Some good Penn alumni Hollywood news in my roundup this week:

• Big Wig makes big job change
  
• Mogul announces new TV show
  
• Chairman debuts new channel
  
• TV and Film Producer with 2 new films in the work with big name attached
  
• Actress appears in Oscar nominated film and is now on Broadway
  
• Actress with new DVD out
  

Click here for the scoopage

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Per Cynthia’s Cynopsis, after 19 years with the Sundance Film Festival (he’s been the Director most recently), Geoffrey Gilmore (C'74, Penn in Pictures 2002 panelist) just changed jobs and joined New York-based Tribeca Enterprises as CCO where "he will lead the company's international content strategy, development efforts and brand expansion. Geoffrey will also be a part of Tribeca's Board of Directors."

More of my posts about Geoffrey here

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Rich Ross (C’83, Penn in Pictures 2003 panelist) announces a new Disney channel for boys.

More of my posts about Rich here

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Mark Cronin (ENG ’86) picks Ricki Lake as headmistress of the next installment of “Charm School 3”.

Mark's beginnings in showbiz

More posts about Mark's abundance of reality shows here!

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Mike Karz (C’89, W'89) will produce the film Valentine’s Day: “a love story which revolves around five relationships in Los Angeles, all of which are put through the paces over the course of one Valentine's Day.

Mike will also be producing the romantic comedy “Five Killers” starring Katherine Heigl. Per Screamingdemon, “Story kicks off when a woman meets the man of her dreams while on vacation. Married bliss is turned upside down when they discover that their neighbors may be assassins hired to kill them.”

Past posts about Mike's film projects here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Kate Jennings Grant (C’92, Counterparts) plays Diane Sawyer in the Oscar Nominated film Frost/Nixon.









She is also now starring as Sarah Brown in the Guys and Dolls revival on Broadway with Lauren Graham.

Look for more about Kate on DT in the near future!

More of my Penn alumni actor posts here

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Liz Banks' (C’96) W is now out on DVD

More of my scintillating Liz posts here

More of my Penn alumni actor posts here

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Past Hollywood Bits and Pieces posts here

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DT Hollywood Bits and Pieces

A bunch of Penn Hollywood news happening in film to report...

Click here for this week's scoopage.

Check out our October Contest and win cool swag!

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) will be producing Sorority Row, a remake of the 1983 horror film The House on Sorority Row.

Per the Hollywood Reporter,

"The plot sees a group of sorority sisters try to cover up the death of their house-sister after a prank gone wrong, only to be stalked and killed by a serial killer."

The film will star Carrie Fisher (still in negotiations), Rumer Willis, Julian Morris, Leah Pipes, Margo Harshman and Briana Evigan.

Past posts about Mike here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Today, the film Blindness comes out.

Do you remember when Felisha Liu (W'09) our "Penn in Cannes" correspondent reviewed the film from Cannes back in June 2008?

Read her review from back in June here!

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Todd Lieberman's (C'95, Mask and Wig, AEPi) film Beverly Hills Chihuahua comes out in theathers today.

Past posts about Todd here

More of my Penn "Film Producer" posts here

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Set your DVR's for Friday, October 10 when Elizabeth Banks (C'96) will appear on The Letterman Show most likely to promote her Zack and Miri Make a Porno and W films.

Liz also appears in this new trailer below for The Uninvited, a horror film which comes out in January 2009. Per shocktillyoutdrop.com, the film's synopsis is as follows:

"Based on Kim Jee-Woon's 2003 Korean chiller, A Tale of Two Sisters, the story revolves around a pair of siblings who return home to their father after spending time in a mental institution. Their recovery is hindered by their cruel stepmother's obsessiveness and an interfering ghost."

My past Liz Banks posts here

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Alum produces "intolerable" movie

Mike Karz (C '89, W '89) will be producing a new comedy Mission: Intolerable starring comedian Katt Williams (Norbit, Epic Movie).

Per the Hollywood Reporter, "Williams will play a wannabe CIA agent who starts a business as a "temp from hell" whom companies hire to get unwanted employees to quit their jobs. His latest assignment goes awry, however, when his new target fights back."

Sounds like a fun premise. Having been a temp myself years ago, I know there's lots of "temp" humor which can ensue. (I only say this after the fact. Oh, I've got my stories...)

Click to see my other posts about Mike

Click here to check out some of Mike's and other alumni films

Click to see what other 1989 Penn grads are up to

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) catches another film

Producer Mike Karz (C89, W'89) seems to be doing lots of films these days in his new Karz Entertainment shingle.

The latest, reported today in Variety, is called The Catch, and is based on a true story about a 42-year-old who goes back to school and plays college football.

Per Variety, the story "is based on the life of Marty Reichman, who was on the verge of losing his job and his marriage when he decided to keep a promise to his father and return to college. He finds he's eligible to play ball and makes the team as tight end."

Make sure to check out Mike's next movie Good Luck Chuck starring Dane Cook and Jessica Alba, in theatres September 21.

Click to see my other posts about Mike

Click here to check out some of Mike's and other alumni films

Click to see what other 1989 Penn grads are up to

Sign up for daily emails to get notified about alumni and undergraduate updates! (click here to see a newsletter)

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) saddles up with The Fourth Horsemen

Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) has set up a new film with Intrepid Pictures called The Fourth Horseman.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, "The film centers on a young priest sent by his church's secret order to kill a teenage girl. She is believed to be the future mother of the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, destined to join siblings War, Pestilence and Famine in destroying the world. But when the priest becomes romantically involved with his target and she becomes pregnant, he's forced to face the possibility that he may have spawned the child from hell."

Make sure to check out Mike's next movie Good Luck Chuck starring Dane Cook and Jessica Alba, in theatres September 21.

Click to see my other posts about Mike

Click here to check out some of Mike's and other alumni films

Click to see what other 1989 Penn grads are up to

Sign up for daily emails to get notified about alumni and undergraduate updates! (click here to see a newsletter)

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) to produce Fratboy

Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) is all set to produce the film Fratboy through his Karz Entertainment shingle.

Per comingsoon.net, "The comedy revolves around a man brought up in a frat house, raised by generations of house brothers. When he is reunited with his birth mother, he wreaks havoc on her chic home furnishings company with his rowdy, ill-behaved ways."

Click to see my other posts about Mike

Click here to check out some of Mike's and other alumni films

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Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) strikes 2 year first-look deal with Warner Brothers

It's no surprise that Penn alumni have taken over Hollywood and today it was announced that another Hollywood established alum, Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) continues this trend with the news that he just stuck a 2 year, first-look deal with Warner Brothers.

Per Variety, "Karz already has several projects in the works at the studio [Warner Brothers] and has just sold his first pitch under the pact. The project, called "Blended," is a comedy about families coping with remarriages. ...Under the pact, Karz Entertainment will be based on the lot in Burbank and produce features and direct-to-DVD projects for the studio."

Other projects Mike has in the works include:

Good Luck Chuck - (per Variety) In the film, "Dane Cook plays a serial dater who gets a reputation that any woman dating him will rebound into meeting her soulmate. When the man meets his true love, he must find a way to end the streak and keep her." Click here to view the trailer!

Honeymoon with Harry - (per IMDB) "A man's fiancé dies 2 days before their wedding leaving the lover devastated. Oddly, he then goes on the honeymoon with his fiancé's father who despises him to scatter the ashes."
Click here to check out some of Mike's and other alumni films
Congratulations, Mike!

READ MORE - Mike Karz (C'89, W'89) strikes 2 year first-look deal with Warner Brothers