Nielsen Media Research, citing growing concerns that their television rating system was no longer tracking a statistically inaccurate sampling of American consumers, today announced details concerning their Nielsen 2.0 rating system which they planned to unveil at COMICON this past month. The new system will feature in-home monitoring provided by a highly intelligent team of Tic Tac Toe chickens who have never, ever, lost a match of Tic Tac Toe. Beta testers for the new system indicated it gave a much more accurate assessment of viewing habits, but early prototypes had problems with fowl odors.

Labels: frontpage, hollywood reporter, nielsens, satire, television, variety

Movies based on toys couldn't be hotter in Hollywood, with nearly every studio adapting playthings for the bigscreen. Now count Universal as one of those studios: Universal is developing a movie around the plastic cup included with every game of Boggle.

Scribes Akiva Goldsmith and a litstalker who leaves anonymous comments on Goldsmith's blog are penning the script for the family comedy that will mix live action and animation. Universal is keeping the plot tightly under wraps, but it's described as an action adventure set in a bowl-shaped world filled with giant four-sided cubes covered in big black letters.

Cup will be voiced by Cate Blanchett, who is described as a "huge" Boggle fan.

Boggle is repped by UTA. The plastic cup is repped by CAA.

Labels: film, frontpage, hollywood reporter, representation, variety

Mr. Potatohead, best known for his work in Disney/Pixar's Toy Story franchise, this week left CAA to sign with WME.

The multi-hyphenate's move was expected when he left CAA, where he'd been repped for a decade. His exit showed the volatility of the plastic representation business right now. One day after CAA staged a coup by enticing away WME clients Barbie, Ken and the plastic cup included in every game of Boggle, the agency is now forced to wear it's sad mouth and whiny eyes.

Moves come as Hollywood is struggling to find new movie stars. While a bigscreen splash was predicted for all three following their successes in Pixar franchises, all have found hurdles to their transition to film stardom.

Labels: frontpage, hollywood reporter, representation, variety

George Clooney today confirmed rumors that he's moving Smokehouse to Sony from the WB backlot in order to get away from Ellen: the talk show, not the person. "I'm really looking forward to making a movie that doesn't have the word Ocean in the title," he said, "but to accomplish that we need some peace and quiet at the Smokehouse offices."

Labels: film, frontpage, hollywood reporter, variety

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences today announced it's adding several new award categories to the illustrious event, including Excellence in Craft Service and Technical Achievement in Porta-Potty Placement.

"For too long portapotty placement has been overlooked as a key aspect of location shoots," said frequent porta-potty user JJ Abrams, "When magic hour is approaching and you only have limited time to set up your next shot, who wants to run half a mile through rough terrain to the latrine?"

Labels: awards season, frontpage, hollywood reporter, television, variety

Warner Bros. has set in motion a prequel to the Ted Danson starrer "Three Men and a Baby". Working title is "Three Babes and a Tranny".

The plan is for Danson to reprise his role as the baby Jack Holden, with Leonard Nimoy returning to direct. Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner will produce with Robert Altman's babysitter.

The prequel will chronicle the final days of humanity in New York before a man-made virus caused a plague that left Danson's character the lone survivor, along with his two baby friends, among a mutated mob of baby children.

Labels: film, frontpage, hollywood reporter, variety

New Line Cinema has optioned "FAT" a Weird Al Yankovic single about Michael Jackson's glory years that will be produced by Flower Films partners Nancy Juvonen and Drew Barrymore. Jimmy Fallon in talks with Juvonen to star and co-produce children.

The lyrics will be adapted by Akiva Goldsmith and a Speak and Spell that was popular in the 1980s. The duo also adapted the funny self-help book "A Communist Manifesto", it was turned into an ensemble romantic comedy by New Line, Flower and starred Adam Sandler as the late Karl Marx.

Labels: film, frontpage, hollywood reporter, variety

Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver are working with Apple to turn iFart into a live-action film. Judd Apatow is in talks to provide craft services.

Chuck Russell ("The Scorpion King," "The Mask") is in talks to direct. The writing team of Akiva Goldsmith and the cremation urn containing the remains of Hunter S. Thompson will script the story, which focuses on the relationship between the title character and his father.

Labels: film, frontpage, hollywood reporter, variety

Paramount announced a Fall 2009 release for the G.I. Joe remake they've had in development since early 2009. Steven Sommers (Jungle Book) is set to direct.

Labels: film, frontpage, hollywood reporter, variety

With the economy on the rebound and a Canadian-style healthcare system in the works, some say Obama is running out of things to do. Sources close to Capitol Hill say celebrity re-tweeting is nearing the top of the President’s priority list. Citing concerns that Federal stimulus dollars at public schools are being undermined by Twitter in general and celebrity re-tweeting in particular, the President, in usual candid style, diplomatically called the popular RT practice “ineffectual” while his two daughters are apparently now mad at dad because the Jonas Brothers' retweets are no longer welcome in the Whitehouse.

At least, not on school nights.

Labels: frontpage, politics