In a flurry of film and television casting news...

CBS Evening News / Today Show
As expected, Katie Couric is leaving the Today Show for the big chair once occupied by Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite at CBS. Meanwhile, Meredith Vieria will abandon Barbara, Star, Joy, and that other girl to take over Katie's spot on the big NBC morning show couch.

Law & Order: SVU
The one and only Jerry Lewis will guest-star as the homeless uncle of Detective Munch (Richard Belzer).

Fred Claus
Paul Giamatti (Sideways) will play Santa, opposite Vince Vaughn as his trouble making sibling.

Hot Rod
Andy Samberg (SNL) has been cast as an accident-prone, Evel Knievel-worshipping daredevil.

Source: TV Guide

John Stamos, who guested on E.R. during 2005 November sweeps is set to join the NBC medical drama this fall as a series regular. Stamos will reprise his role as Tony Gates -- paramedic/med student/Gulf War veteran. I guess this means Jake in Progress has ultimately progressed as far as it could.

Source: TV Guide

IFC has created a viral game to promote their new anime series Samurai Seven. The game is called Samurai Kittens and it has to be seen to be believed. Sick and twisted, but entertaining nonetheless. Those of you who grew up playing Street Fighter and other combat games will appreciate it.

KARAS: THE PROPHECY

Manga Entertainment proudly presents the newest animated technology from Japan, 2D/3D Hybrid Animation and the 40th Anniversary release by the people who brought Speed Racer, Battle of the Planets, and Gatchaman, Tatsunoko Productions’ KARAS (The Crow). Originally created as a six-part original video animation series, KARAS will be released as two feature films: Karas: The Prophecy on April 25, 2006 and KARAS: The Revelation later this fall. Hailed by the Japanese news media, KARAS is a cross between a cyberpunk version of The Crow and Batman with a samurai sword.

SYNOPSIS
Set in Tokyo, we follow the story of Eko (voiced by Matthew Lillard), a KARAS who protected the order of Japan between the human and spirit/demon world over many years decides to take revenge on mankind by giving a group of poltergeist new bodies. The human world, not knowing about the spirit and apparitions existing amongst them are protected by Yurine (voiced by Piper Perabo) the cities incarnate and protector of Japan since ancient times. She creates another KARAS to defeat the evil one while Nue, (voiced by Jay Hernandez), a wandering apparition is sent back to the human world to defeat Eko and discovers the work of Eko’s poltergeist, Mikurashu. Now, a special situation arises where two ravens exist in the same town – there isn’t room for both of them!

BASICS
Price: $19.98
Street Date: April 25, 2006
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: Dolby 6.1 EX (English), Dolby 2.0 Surround (Japanese)
Subtitles: English
Run Time: 90 min

BONUS FEATURES
Behind the Scenes Montage: The Making of KARAS
Original Concept/Animation Comparison
Original Japanese Trailers and TV Spots
Interviews with Japanese Voice Actors, Directors, and Producers
24-page Karas mini-comic from Dark Horse Comics

New Line is serving notice that the standard DVD format will not bow to the birth of High Def. The Jul 23 DVD release of Final Destination 3 DVD offers unprecedented bonus features that rival the proposed interactivity of the next-generation formats. With the Final Destination 3: Thrill Ride Edition, viewers will be able to choose between dozens of different fates for characters via a combination of newly filmed alternate scenes. At a budget of $700,000 to $1 million, the extras are meant to continue the movie’s story line, in which characters are able to foresee they way they will die.

This spring and summer is the launch period for both the HD DVD and Blu-ray formats; a critical selling point for which is the promise of bonus features superior to those available on standard DVDs. “We’re not trying to make a statement about one format over the other,” , said Mike Mulvihill, New Line Home Entertainment senior VP of content development. “But the statement we are making is that New Line takes the technology seriously, whatever the format is.” Many DVD producers are thrilled to score an extras budget of $1 million given to this release. Mulvihill said the additional funds were necessary so the studio could involve the director and cast in creating the new material. “Our thinking is this will translate into incremental sales.” Mulvihill said of the ‘choose-your-fate’ option. “We can’t put a fine point on it, but our expectation with all of our added value is that it broadens the appeal of the movie to a wider audience.”

Source: Video Business

You knew this was coming...

Netflix filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Blockbuster Tuesday, asking a Northern California federal court to shut down its rival’s online DVD rental service and award Netflix damages. The two-count suit accuses Blockbuster of copying Netflix’s method for allowing users to maintain an online list of movies they wish to rent and prioritize and manage their rentals. The other count covers the basic subscription rental model itself, which Netflix introduced in 1999. Netflix was granted a patent on managing an online queue of movies in 2003 but held off seeking to enforce it even after Blockbuster launched a similar service late that year. The suit was finally triggered Tuesday, after Netflix was granted a broader patent covering the entire online subscription rental business model. The suit also claims that Blockbuster has caused Netflix “irreparable injuries” and induced others to infringe on its patent. “From top to bottom, Blockbuster has deliberately and willfully copied Netflix’s business model,” Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said. Swasey declined to comment on whether the company had warned Blockbuster about its patent before filing suit. He also declined to say whether Netflix planned to sue any smaller online rental services. A Blockbuster spokesman said the company could not comment.

Source: Video Business

THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS: EXTENDED CUT
International superstar Chow Yun-Fat (Hard-Boiled) makes his Hollywood debut with Oscar winner Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite) in a fierce and explosive action thriller from director Antoine Fuqua. After he betrays Mr. Wei, the ruthless crime boss who hired him to avenge his son's death, professional killer John Lee (Yun-Fat) goes on the run. Enlisting the aid of beautiful document forger Meg Coburn (Sorvino), Lee attempts to return to his family in China before they are victimized by his betrayal. But Wei's army of "replacement killers" is hot on his trail, and now both he and Meg are targets of their impressive firepower. With both sides fully armed and determined to fight to the death, an ultra-violent shootout breaks out when they finally face off against each other.

BONUS FEATURES
Featurette: Chow Yun-Fat Goes Hollywood
Featurette: Edited HBO Special: "Where the Action Is"

BACHELOR PARTY VEGAS
In the vein of Van Wilder, Road Trip, and American Pie, Bachelor Party Vegas is a hilarious journey that pushes the envelope, with laugh-out-loud comedy. Starring Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Donald Faison (Scrubs), and Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls), a group of guys send their best friend into uncharted territory -- marriage. But in order to properly bid farewell to their best friend's life as a single man, they decide to send him out in style -- with an extravagant bachelor party in Sin City.

BONUS FEATURES
None

CRUMB: SPECIAL EDITION
David Lynch (Blue Velvet) presents one of the most critically acclaimed films ever made. A hilarious and mysterious journey through artistic genius and sexual obsession; a wild ride through the mind of Robert Crumb; creator of Zap Comix, Mr. Natural, and Fritz the Cat. CRUMB enters a territory as spooky as it is fascinating... a portrait of the artist as misanthrope, as bad-boy visionary,as a joker and sex maniac and, finally, as hero. One of those rare film experiences that has the giddy effect of being a nightmare and a party at the same time.

BONUS FEATURES
Audio Commentary with Terry Zwigoff and Roger Ebert

Building on the international attention for its unprecedented ad in the March 10 Daily Variety, a website discussion board has launched an ambitious campaign to place the Brokeback Mountain DVD in 2,000 rural libraries in the United States and Canada. The campaign will also extend abroad, particularly targeting countries like the Bahamas, where the film has been banned. This is the first in a series of projects to be launched by The Ultimate Brokeback Forum. "The ad campaign ignited a wealth of enthusiasm to make a difference. It has been an incredible outpouring of Internet activism, and it is all due to Brokeback Mountain," said site organizer, Dave Cullen.

The group is calling the latest campaign: 2,000 DVDs to Libraries. In the first few days of the campaign, prior to the DVD release, the group has already committed to donating the DVD to about 200 libraries in twelve states and Canada. Most libraries have been receptive--a dozen have refused, most citing general policy restrictions. Organizers hope that after the DVD is released that fans around the world will donate a DVD to a library or organization near them as part of the camapign.

The group has also moved to phase two of its advertising campaign. Over the next month, banner ads will run on at least eight Internet sites where organizers expect at least two million viewers will see the ads. The ads will proclaim Brokeback Mountain as the consensus choice for Best Picture in 2005 and will ask viewers to share the experience by linking them to the resources at The Ultimate Brokeback Guide and Forum at davecullen.com. Since the start of the campaign, the group has raised over $30,000 from some 800 contributors around the world.

As donations poured in from around the world -- a contingent in Taiwan even ran their own ad in Mandarin -- members of the forum expanded their vision beyond just a single ad in Variety. Contemplating print ads in national periodicals, members decided that broadly disseminated internet banner ads would allow the group to reach a wider audience, reflecting the forum's diversity. "Members of our forum are an amazingly disparate group who simply want people to see the film and feel its power. Some of our most active members are grandmothers and over a third of forum members are women," said Cullen.

It is no accident the group waited until the eve of the DVD release to start the second round of ads and to announce the campaign to place the DVD in 2,000 libraries. The group wanted to help bring the message of Brokeback Mountain to the millions of new fans who will see the film for the first time on DVD.

Thomas Sturridge, Teresa Palmer, and Jamie Bell will star in New Regency's upcoming sci-fi adventure trilogy, the first installment of which is Jumper. Based on a 1992 novel by Steven Gould, a 17-year-old boy (Sturridge) discovers he has the ability to teleport. He first uses his special power to escape his abusive father, and then puts his ability to use robbing banks before becoming entangled with terrorists and law enforcement. Jim Uhls is rewriting an adaptation by David Goyer. Doug Liman will direct. Shooting begins this spring in Toronto.

Source: Variety

Seann William Scott will star in the indie pic Gary the Tennis Coach. The underdog comedy centers on an overzealous high school janitor who begins coaching a group of misfits to the Nebraska state championship. Andy Stock and Rick Stempson penned the screenplay. O.N.C. Entertainment and GreeneStreet Films are producing. Danny Leiner will direct. A summer start is planned.

Source: Variety