20 Years After Oscar: Silence of The Lambs Holds Up, Jack Palance Not So Much

I have no idea how this concept eluded me for two years, but there it is: The 3rd annual 20/20 Awards were announced recently, honoring the best films of 1991 after two decades worth of distance and hindsight. Great idea - even though the event turned out just about as anticlimactically as this year's real thing. That's what happens when Oscar apparently gets it right. To wit, the Silence of the Lambs once again swept the major categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay (Adapted), claiming five "Felixes" on the night and leading the way among an unprecedented eight "Odd Couples" to win both Oscars and Felixes. (HA! Cute.) Alas, '91 Supporting Actor Jack Palance and Supporting Actress Mercedes Ruehl were overthrown by John Goodman (Barton Fink) and Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise). Find the full list of winners below. Congrats to all! (* denotes an Oscar winner) BEST PICTURE THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST DIRECTOR Jonathan Demme THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST ACTOR Anthony Hopkins THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST ACTRESS Jodie Foster - THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR John Goodman - BARTON FINK BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Geena Davis THELMA & LOUISE BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Callie Khouri THELMA & LOUISE* BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Ted Tally THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS* BEST FOREIGN FILM DELICATESSEN BEST DOCUMENTARY HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKERS APOCALYPSE BEST SCORE Wilson Pickett THE COMMITMENTS BEST SONG Until The End Of The World UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD BEST EDITING Conrad Buff, Mark Goldblatt, Richard A. Harris TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Lun Yang RAISE THE RED LANTERN BEST ART DIRECTION Dennis Gassner - BARTON FINK BEST COSTUME Valrj]ie Pozzo di Borgo DELICATESSEN BEST MAKEUP THE ADDAMS FAMILY BEST VISUAL FX TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY* BEST SOUND DESIGN TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*

ABC's 'Middle' nets syndie purchase

'The Middle'Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution has offered off-internet privileges to ABC sitcom "The CenterInch to ABC Family along with a wide range of TV station groups, the studio introduced Tuesday. "Middle," which stars Patricia Heaton, will premiere both in broadcast and cable in nov 2013. Series is presently in the third season on ABC, where it anchors the Alphabet's giant Wednesday selection. "We're inside a new golden age for sitcoms both around the broadcast systems and distribution," stated WBDTD leader Ken Werner. "Our station partners recognized in 'The Middle' a compelling player that will energize their sitcom blocks in 2013 and beyond." Stations that bought "Middle" comprise 92% from the U.S. TV audience including Tribune, Sinclair, CBS, Newport, Belo, Cox, Local TV, Pappas, and Weigel. Executive producers of "Middle," that is from Blackie and Blondie Prods. in colaboration with WBTV, are Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Nat Faxon Lands Title Role In Fox Comedy Pilot Ned Fox Is My Manny

Nat Faxon is around the hot streak. The actor-author, who just won an Oscar on Sunday for co-writing The Descendants along with his writing partner Jim Rash and Alexander Payne, just showed up the title role opposite Abby Elliott in Foxs single-camera comedy pilot Ned Fox Is My Manny (formerly Ben Fox Is My Manny), directed by Mike Kasdan. The project, from author Dana Fox, 20th TV and Chernin Entertainment, concentrates on an uptight single mother Kate (Elliott) whose aimless older brother Ned (Faxon) moves straight into help raise her daughter (Maggie Manley). Co-starring inside the pilot is Lucy Punch. Faxon, repped by Innovative and Principato-Youthful, can be a familiar face (and voice) at Fox. He co-starred round the network’s short-were living comedy Happy Hour and contains voiced figures on animated comedies The Cleveland Show and Allen Gregory. Faxon’s writing partner Rash can also be around the primetime comedy series, he co-stars on NBC’s Community.

BOX OFFICE: Act Of Valor #1 With $24.7M Weekend, Good Deeds $16M, Wanderlust And Gone Blast

SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM, second UPDATE:Correctly enough for Oscars Sunday, it’s another up weekend for your eighth straight week this season.Common moviegoingis at $135M, the whopping +24% over a year ago.Clearly, Hollywood is ecstatic (though not within the prospect at sitting using the interminable Academy awards only to watch Harvey Weinstein gloat). Relativity’s R-ratedAct Of Valor has stayedNo. 1all weekend. It’s the the Bandito Brothers and sisters’ individually funded low-budget U.S. Navy fighting pressure taleusing actual Shuts from a geniune script by Kurt Johnstad (300). (FYI, there's a novelization of the script, Tom Clancy Presents Act of Valor, put together by Dick Couch and George Galdorsi and released in paperback by Clancys author. Relativity acquired the rights for the project last June for $13 million together with a $Thirty Dollars million in prints and advertising commitment -the finest money taken proper care of a finished film by getting a mystery cast in individuals days.But Relativity didn’t spend $30M on P&A. That may have been the studio’s minimum legal commitment nevertheless it spent a lot more. Ryan Kavanaugh et al got 4 wildely pricey Super Bowl game day ads. Yes, 4. That cost between $12M-14M alone (though Relativity claims it absolutely was $6.5+M). Educated guess is that they spent $45M-$50M total to hawk this actioner. Yes, they acquired domestic rights for reasonable and strongly pre-offered foreign. And, yes, your financial allowance only agreed to be $12K. Seems like Relativity will recoup. Marketing-wise, Relativity launched a hostile 400 screening type in over 40 areas incorporated in amulti-pronged strategy that spoke to gamers, action fans, sports fans, ethnic audiences, new bands fans, patriots, military, women, as well as the belief-based community. It absolutely was about individual to individual then now: audiences are submission by supplying it an ‘A’ CinemaScore. Also getting an ‘A’ CinemaScore from audiences was Lionsgate’s advantageous romantic dramaGood Deeds. It seems sensible middling for your Tyler Perry movie — does he clone them? — which was only playing by 50 %,132 locations. Butthen people films where he doesn’t crossdress as Madea (and offendwith that stereotype) earn less. Nevertheless it’s right in line with Lionsgate anticipation and, besides, your financial allowance only agreed to be $15M. Like them or else, this can be yet anotherof author, director, producer Perry’ssoap operas specific to his core fans. But is Tyler an amazing enough thesp tocarry a movie virtually by themselves or possibly a sizable enough draw to feature only himselfon the film poster? Not always.(And I believe that this fearing his approaching portrayal of imaginary crimefighter Alex Mix.) Universal’s alleged comedyWanderlustbombed worse compared to studio expecte: lousy trackingfor this R-rated nonsense had indicated the film would open below $10M.Audiences gave it a typical’B-’ CinemaScore. The mix of Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd shown toxicto moviegoers. FYI: this greenlight was the studio’s payback to Heroines director David Wain and and also the creative partner Ken Marino and mogul/producer Judd Apatow. Sadly your financial allowance was $30M that's cheap by any standard except each time a pic flops this badly.Sad, really, because Aniston’s flack-from-hell Stephen Huvanepulled out all the nauseating stops by benefiting from her personal existence — of course. Also tanking is Summit’snot-so-thrilling Gone starring Amanda Seyfried which acquired basically a ‘C+’ CinemaScore.This really is really the most recent back to back of stinkers for the studio that's now part of Lionsgate.Really the only very good news is always that, using the structure in the deal with producersLakeshore Entertainment and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment andother parties, the studio features a internet possibility of only $2 million. Bear in mind that children round the Colonial lost of college a couple of days ago so family holdovers Warner Bros’ Journey 2 and Disney’s The Important Thing Information On Arrietty held strong — no less than until Universal/Illumination’sDr. Suess toon The Lorax opens next weekend. The brand new the new sony’s The Vow passed the $100M domestic mark this 3rd weekend out since the first Screen Gems film to ever hit $100M. Here’s the most effective Ten (order according to weekend grosses): 1. Act Of Valor (Relativity) NEW [3,039 Theaters] Friday $9, Saturday $9.4, Weekend $24.7M 2. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds (Lionsgate) NEW [2,132 Theaters] Friday $5.3M, Saturday $6.7M, Weekend: $16M 3. Journey 2 3d (Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,350 Theaters] Friday $3.2M, Saturday$6.4M,Weekend $13.4M,Cume $76.7M 4. Safe House (Universal) Week 3 [3,052 Theaters] Friday $3.1M, Saturday $5.0M, Weekend $11.3M, Cume $98M 5. The Vow (Screen Gems/The brand new the new sony) Week 3 [3,038 Theaters] Friday $3.2M, Saturday $4.5M,Weekend $10M, Cume $103M 6. Ghost Driver 2 3d (The brand new the new sony) Week 2 [3,174 Theaters] Friday $2.3M, Saturday $4.1M,Weekend $8.8M (-60%),Cume $37.8M 7.This Means War (Fox) Week 2 [3,189 Theaters] Friday $2.7M, Saturday $3.9M,Weekend $8.5M (-51%),Cume $33.5M 8. Wanderlust (Universal)NEW [2,002 Theaters] Friday $2.1M, Saturday $2.9M,Weekend $6.6M 9. Gone (Summit)NEW [2,186 Theaters] Friday $1.6M, Saturday $2.1M,Weekend $5.0M 10. Secret Arena Of Arrietty (Disney)Week 2 [1,522 Theaters] Friday $1M, Saturday $2.1M,Weekend $4.5M (-30%),Cume $14.6M

WE orders 'Hair Divas: Hollywood'

'Hair Divas: Hollywood'WE has greenlit the reality series "Hair Divas: Hollywood."From professional producers JD Roth, Todd Nelson, DJ Nurre and Heidi Dahmen of Eyeworks USA, show will focus on hairstylist Kimberly Kimble and her eccentric employees who concentrate on the coiffures of exclusive clients inside a Hollywood salon.Internet has bought eight episodes. Production is presently on-going.Suzanne Gladstone professional produces for WE. Cabler does well while using second season of "Braxton Family Values," that's calculating just beneath millions of audiences per episode. This can be a 56% increase from season one. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

'Darkover' books pitched as Tv show

The famous sci-fi "Darkover" books may soon morph right into a television series. Producers Ilene Kahn Energy and Elizabeth Stanley have guaranteed the privileges to author Marion Zimmer Bradley's famous books and also have already pitched the project to 1 cabler and therefore are making presentations to others too. The series could be according to Bradley's 20 books, most of which detail the colonization on the new planet in which the occupants begin their very own species. "The books have a big fan following through the sci-fi and fantasy towns worldwide and Marion Zimmer Bradley was a motivation to along with a nurturer of numerous notable speculative fiction authors," stated Kahn Energy. Bradley's estate first thought the "Darkover" books would best be modified like a theatrical film, but Kahn Energy and Stanley convinced the estate that TV would be a more viable option. Kahn Energy is really a former professional at Cinemax, where she created telepics "Gia" and "Stalin," among several others. Stanley includes a sci-fi and horror background, with creating credits on "Trailers From Hell" and "The Dark Path Stories." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Thornton's on the highway again

Russia invades Hollywood by 'Car' Billy Bob Thornton is co-writing and pointing "Therefore We Drove," a road movie the filmmaker describes as "ethereal."The tentatively entitled "Drove," now being scripted by Thornton and the longtime writing partner Tom Epperson, is among the first as high as six under-$20 million features to spring in the new $120 million film fund created by Alexander Rodnyansky's AR Films and Geyer Kosinski's Media Talent Group.Both fund and "Drove" were developed throughout producing tonight's Berlinale competition world premiere, "Jayne Mansfield's Vehicle," the producers' initial collaboration and Thornton's first narrative helming effort in greater than a decade. ("Vehicle" wasn't area of the fund.)Rodnyansky, who's creating alongside Kosinski, stated he hopes to get the very first draft in March and aims to begin a U.S.-based shoot sometime this season.InchI discovered the storyline amazing. It is a pretty new mixture of genres to place into one movie," stated Rodnyansky, who heard the "Drove" plotline at length from Thornton around the "Vehicle" set. "It's according to his personal encounters in lots of ways.InchThornton stated the film is all about "a man who's on the journey and accumulates this girl on the way, and what goes on for them. It comes down to the question of existence: 'What is? Where will i easily fit in?A "An insider stated the film is partially inspired by Thornton's wild and well-recorded relationship with ex-wife Julia Roberts, which Rodnyansky confirmed.The storyline happens all over the U.S., with stops in La, the South and also the deserts of recent Mexico and Arizona.Thornton stated he's received several distribution offers for his 2011 doc feature on Willie Nelson, "The King of Luck," since its SXSW premiere, but he's ready for just one having a theatrical release.Rodnyansky just established AR Films U.S., a production and purchasers arm produced together with "Vehicle" professional producer Sergei Bespalov's production/sales outfit Aldamisa Entertainment, and finally plans for doing things for presales on all his productions (including AR/MTG features) and outdoors projects.AR and MTG intend to announce more films using their fund within the coming days. Sales for "Vehicle" are now being handled by WME Global and Hyde Park in the EFM.Thornton is repped by WME and Media Talent Group. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com