Vudu to Match DVD HD Releases

Feud alert?

(NEWSER) - Matt Damon seems so nice, and yet the beloved actor finds himself smack dab in the middle of a possible (and relatively polite) Hollywood feud. And Damon himself started it, when he discussed his three Bourne films with GQ . The writer, Tony Gilroy, was given a deal for the third film requiring just one draft—and the result was not impressive. "It's really the studio’s fault for putting themselves in that position," Damon says. "I don't blame Tony for taking a boatload of money and handing in what he handed in. It’s just that it was unreadable." More»

What will we still be talking about next decade? Britney, for one

(NEWSER) - The ‘00s were full of important contributions to culture, but which ones will we still be talking about in another decade? Here are some of New York ’s picks:

• TV: The Sopranos for inventing quality cable, American Idol for changing the music industry, and of course all things Oprah Winfrey.
• Books: The Da Vinci Code for singlehandedly sustaining the book industry, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for blazing the trail of combining geek lit with high lit.

Franchises, concepts drive movie receipts more than A-list personalities

(NEWSER) - The lure of A-list movie stars is on the wane, the Hollywood Reporter notes after an examination of recent box-office receipts and extensive polling of Tinseltown insiders. Due in part to ubiquity on the internet and magazine racks, big names like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts have seen their films gross far less than those driven by franchises—think Pirates of the Caribbean or Bourne. More»

Monopoly, Candy Land to follow in steps of Transformers , Toy Story

(NEWSER) - Paramount has the rights to any Transformers sequels, but a new deal with toymaker Hasbro guarantees Universal Pictures sole access to nearly all the company's iconic brands, including board games. The studio is said to be developing a Monopoly film, and a new live-action version of the game Clue may also be in the works, E! Online reports. More»

Damon's spy thriller earns more in debut than any 007 film

(NEWSER) - Hollywood’s top spy has a new name: Bourne, Jason Bourne. The Bourne Ultimatum shattered box office records this weekend by racking up the largest August opening ever, Variety reports. Domestically, the Matt Damon vehicle grossed $70.2 million, more than the two previous “Bourne” flicks or any James Bond movie. More»