Armie Hammer: The Actor-kaira Pitt Is 'Fantastic' In 'Lone Ranger'

"The Lone Ranger" has already established a while to acquire started, nevertheless it's approaching its filming start date, both we at MTV News as well as the stars in the project can't wait to look for the ultimate product. We recently taken track of Armie Hammer, who plays the titular Lone Ranger inside the movie, which he gushed about his onscreen partner The Actor-kaira Pitt. "He is a superb Tonto. Which we've arrived at spend a while together and concentrate on the stuff, that's great," Hammer mentioned. "And we will spend the next seven several days together concentrating on these products, it is therefore exciting." For people who didn't know just, this Gore Verbinski-directed undertake the beloved Television show will spin the conventional tale on its mind. Tonto will be the primary character inside the film while using Lone Ranger while using back-writers this time around around around. But that won't stop both stars from getting the required time inside the limelight. "It's greatly as being a buddy comedy," Hammer referred to. "It's type of like these two males tallying, and disagreeing, and achieving along then to not get along. There's all kind of stuff folded inside it. It's being an action adventure [film], it takes place round the frontier it is therefore not particularly as being a Western while using twirling guns and such things as that, but it'll be fun." When MTV News taken track of Depp in October, he referred to why the level of smoothness of Tonto is important to him. "I really like the level of smoothness. In my opinion I have interesting plans for your character, but the film itself may be entertaining and extremely funny," he mentioned. "But furthermore I love the idea of getting the opportunity to poker fun at the idea from the Indian just like a partner which is [the problem with the good status for Hollywood, the Native American is actually another-class, third-class, fourth-class citizen, which i can't locate Tonto by doing this whatsoever. It is therefore an chance will be able to salute Indians.Inch Are you currently presently searching toward "The Lone Ranger"? Reveal inside the comments section below or on Twitter!

NBC Sets Schedule For Live Voice Editions & Premiere Date For Americas Got Talent

NBC’s The Voice and ABC’s Dancing With The Stars will battle it out on two nights starting the week of April 2. NBC just announced the scheduling pattern of its live portion of The Voice, which will kick off with the first live performance show Monday, April 2, which will air against Dancing‘s performance edition from 8-10 PM; and the first Voice live elimination round on Tuesday, April 3, which also will go head-to-head with Dancing‘s result show from 9-10 PM. The last Voice live performance episode will be on Monday, May 7, followed by a two-hour live finale on Tuesday, May 8. For the rest of its run this season, Dancing will face the seventh season of NBC’s Americas Got Talent with new judge Howard Stern. The talent competition series will debut with two-hour episodes on Monday, May 14 (8-10 PM) and Tuesday, May 15 (8-10 PM) before settling into its regular time periods of Monday 8-9 PM and Tuesday 9-10 PM. NBCs new Tuesday night lineup starting on April 3 will be The Biggest Loser at 8 PM, The Voice at 9 PM and the newFashion Star at 10 PM.Fashion Star debuts March 13.

Artist Makes French People in politics Slightly Less Intolerable

This might never occur in the usa: "The Two primary candidates in this particular springs presidential election needed a relaxation utilizing their mudslinging to crow. 'This can be a tremendous success for your French cinema,' introduced Leader Nicolas Sarkozy on RTL radio Monday morning. 'I respected The Artist clearly.A Franois Hollande, the Socialist challenger, mentioned on his Site, 'Bravo for the entire cast in the film, and bravo to French cinema.'" [NYT]

Amended suit vs. merger seeks trial, damages

With ballots beginning to hit members' mailboxes, opponents of the SAG-AFTRA merger have amended their lawsuit against SAG to ask for a jury trial and monetary damages. Move comes a week after the four-count civil complaint was filed in Los Angeles. Plaintiffs allege the Screen Actors Guild and its leaders are attempting to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists "without conducting the necessary due diligence." SAG has labeled the suit "a clear attempt at circumventing the will of the membership" and "a public relations stunt" and has moved to dismiss it.Plaintiffs' attorney David Casselman of Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten told Variety that SAG is spending more than $2.5 million on the merger. Ballots are being mailed to 120,000 SAG members and 70,000 AFTRA members, touting the combo as giving performers more bargaining clout. To be approved, the merger must receive at least 60% of the votes from each union.The suit is aimed at preventing SAG from counting the votes on March 30. The amended complaint alleges that the plaintiffs had requested a delay in spending until SAG fulfilled its own fiduciary rules."The individual defendants intentionally and knowingly refused to abide by the SAG constitutional requirements, board resolutions and their fiduciary obligations to the members," the complaint said. "They should now be obligated to reimburse SAG for all funds expended, whether by staff or for otherwise, for time and expense associated with this unnecessary and improper merger effort."The lawsuit, filed by more than 60 SAG members including Martin Sheen and Ed Harris, also contends that SAG is violating its own rules by not conducting a comprehensive analysis of combining the SAG and AFTRA pension and health plans -- which are operated separately from the unions and overseen by union-industry boards. The unions' summary of the feasibility study, containing opinions of seven attorneys with experience in the field, noted that several hundred multi-employer pensions have merged over the past 25 years and that there is no legal obstacle to merging the SAG and AFTRA pension and health plans.Monday's filings by the opponents included a declaration by Alex H. Brucker, an attorney with three decades of experience in employee pension and health plans, that blasted SAG for asserting that merging the unions and the plans would "only benefit" participants and that "merger is the best way to protect our benefits.""These are not supportable statements of fact," Brucker said.Merger backers contend that combining SAG and AFTRA will make it easier to combine the plans as a first step toward resolving the problem that performers face in making contributions to the separate plans and then not meeting the earnings qualifications. Brucker said in his declaration that the question of merging SAG and AFTRA is "indistinguishable" from the question of merging the plans and can't be considered separately."It is my opinion, based on my careful consideration of this issue, that a plan merger raises complex issues, could create serious problems and conflicts and could result in loss of benefits for both SAG and AFTRA members," Brucker said. "The precise impact on plan benefits (or required member and co-sponsor contributions) cannot be properly assessed without an ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) Impact Report."SAG members turned down merger proposals in 1999 and 2003 while AFTRA members supported both combos.Casselman also filed a declaration by Patrick Byrnes, president of Actuarial Consultants, who asserted that the existing SAG pension plan is "relatively richer and more beneficial" to SAG members, than the existing AFTRA plan. "Generally speaking, based on my experience, it is not possible to merge a plan with higher benefits and a plan with lower benefits and (without additional funding) produce a joint plan providing the equivalent of the higher benefit formula for all participants," Byrnes said. He also said that without a study to determine how the pension plans would be merged, there's no way to predict the precise outcome. "But, in my experience, it is likely that the combination of the existing SAG and AFTRA plans will either require additional funding or SAG benefits would have to be reduced," Byrnes added.SAG had no comment Monday about the amended complaint. Both sides asked U.S. District Court Judge James Otero for a hearing on March 26.The guild filed pleadings Monday to dismiss the suit; a pleading contending the opponents lack standing to file; and an anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) motion. It also filed a declaration by SAG national exec director David White, including his assertion that the merger has been discussed on numerous websites, web pages on well-known social media sites, blogs, and other online communication vehicles devoted to internal SAG issues many of which are member driven, some of which are maintained by the Guild and AFTRA, some by pro-merger groups, some by anti-merger groups, and some that take no official position."Thus, the members of SAG and AFTRA have innumerable outlets to consider the views and information of others on the merger question, and contributetheir own to the debate," he said. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Dennis Quaid, Michael Chiklis set for CBS pilot

Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis are headed for CBS and Sin City. The pair are set to star in the untitled CBS TV Studios drama pilot based on the life of rodeo cowboy-turned-Las Vegas sheriff Ralph Lamb. Quaid stars as the title character in the 1960s-set project. Chiklis plays Johnny Savino, a Chicago mob fixer whose entrepreneurial ambitions for Vegas collies with Lamb's law-and-order mandate. Both thesps will serve as co-exec producers. Pilot was penned by Greg Walker ("Without a Trace") and feature vet Nicholas Pileggi ("Goodfellas," "Casino"). James Mangold is on board to direct the pilot and exec produce with Walker, Pileggi, Cathy Konrad and Arthur Sarkissian. If ordered to series, the project would mark Quaid's first stint as a regular in primetime skein. Chiklis was last seen in ABC's "No Ordinary Family," which followed his Emmy-winning run on FX's "The Shield." Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Anthony Mackie Knows Discomfort & Gain

He's up for Michael Bay's new filmThe ensemble for Michael Bay's first film in age range free from giant robots bashing into one another, Discomfort And Gain, grows. Now Anthony Mackie is within foretells link up.Discomfort already features Dwayne Manley, Mark Wahlberg, Erectile dysfunction Harris and Take advantage of Corddry inside a crime story which has its roots inside a real-existence tale relayed through the Miami New Occasions.Wahlberg and Manley is going to be bodybuilders who concoct a plan including kidnapping, extortion and, ultimately murder. Naturally, nothing quite would go to plan. Harris is onto play a personal detective named Erectile dysfunction Du Bois who digs in to the situation, while Corddry is John Mese, the previous accountant who is the owner of a fitness center where Wahlberg works.Now Mackie is within line to appear as Adrian Doorbal, another bodybuilder annoyed by his progress who will get swept up in Wahlberg's plan.Having a script by Captain America authors Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Bay will start shooting within the next handful of several weeks.Mackie, who last made an appearance in Guy On The Ledge, is placed to possess a busy year, with roles in Gangster Squad (coming November 9) and Abraham Lincoln subsequently: Vampire Hunter (out here August 2).

Spurlock's 'Comic-Con' docu opens April 6

Wrekin Hill Entertainment as well as the National Entertainment Memorabilia Assn. will open Morgan Spurlock's documentary "Comic-Disadvantage Episode IV -- A Fan's Hope" on April 6 getting a theatrical/VOD day-and-date release. Wrekin Hill and NECA may even begin a multi-city tour in the film on April 5, beginning in Atlanta after which Orlando, Miami, Rochester, N.Y., Albany, N.Y., Philadelphia, Wallingford, Conn., Cincinnati, Chicago and Detroit. The tour stops are increasingly being planned as fan occasions designed to recreate the Comic-Disadvantage experience. Plus a screening, each stop includes exhibitor working areas, animator portfolio reviews, costumes and sections. The film was produced by Spurlock, Jeremy Chilnick, Matthew Galkin, and Thomas Tull. It put together by Spurlock and Chilnick which is being presented by Stan Lee, Joss Whedon and Harry Knowles. "Merging with NECA and including an energetic tour element for the film's release can provide audiences a multi-dimensional think about the Comic Disadvantage experience," mentioned Wrekin Hill topper Chris Ball. Wrekin Hill and NECA acquired "A Fan's Hope" in December incorporated inside a proper partnership for your companies to distribute 4 or 5 game game titles theatrically each year. Previous game game titles have incorporated "Hesher," "Individuals versus. George Lucas" and "Spork." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com