Writerless Studios May Turn to UK

Don't expect your average cop shows and sitcoms

(NEWSER) - As they ready their fall lineups for advertisers, the major networks are stepping off last season's beaten path of struggles and flops. “We were looking for fresh,” says NBC Entertainment’s new president. “I really want people to see the concept for a show and go: ‘Oh wow. What’s that?’” To that end, his network is planning shows like Smash, the big-budget story of a Broadway musical’s creation. The series will have original songs penned by Broadway legends—and it’s getting some help from Steven Spielberg. More»

Nearly 8 years from his last hit, Arnold says he's still got it

(NEWSER) - Arnold Schwarzenegger is back, and even at age 63, the longtime action star says he's ready to return to the high-octane heroics and disemboweling that made him famous. "I can step very comfortably into the entertainment world and do an action movie with the same violence that I've always done," he said in the LA Times . "I can have the same amount of heads coming off—and any other body parts—and as far as that goes, I don't blink." The former California governor would not comment on specific rumors, only saying, "The calls are coming in." More»

He gives Hollywood talent agency green light to solicit scripts

(NEWSER) - Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently meant it when he said, "I'll be back:" The ex-Governator is picking up his old day job, acting, reports the AP. "Exciting news," he tweeted. "My friends at CAA have been asking me for seven years when they can take offers seriously. Gave them the green light today." No word yet on whether any remakes of Terminator or Kindergarten Cop are in the works. Click here or here for more. More»

Really? 'Hot Tub Time Machine' is the best we can do?

(NEWSER) - “2010 very possibly is the worst year in the history of motion pictures,” declares Joe Queenan in a hilarious Wall Street Journal piece bemoaning the downfall of American cinema. You know things are bad in Hollywood when:

• “Shia LaBeouf—who looks a bit like the young George W. Bush” is being passed off “as the second coming of Tom Cruise.”
• The top contenders for Next Big Action Star are Jake Gyllenhaal and Adrien Brody. “None of these are logical heirs to the throne abandoned by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone. They may not even be legitimate heirs to the throne vacated by Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.”

Hef donates $900K; $12.5M needed to buy land from developers

(NEWSER) - Hugh Hefner donated $900,000 to save the iconic Hollywood sign today, joining Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other California notables who've stepped up to save the sign from real estate developers. The Tiffany Foundation has ponied up $500,000, but more is still needed: The Trust for Public Land estimates the tab to buy the land back from the Chicago owners who want to demolish the sign at $12.5 million, the LA Times reports. More»