Clare Fischer dies at 83

Clare Fischer, a Grammy-winning composer who wrote scores for television and movies and worked with legendary musicians including Dizzy Gillespie, died Thursday, Jan. 26, in Burbank after suffering a heart attack two weeks earlier. He was 83. An uncommonly versatile musician, Fischer worked as a composer, arranger, conductor and pianist for more than 60 years. He is best known for his arrangements for Prince, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Branford Marsalis, Raphael Saadiq, Usher and Brandy. Nominated for a Grammy 11 times in the best instrumental arrangement category, Fischer won for his album "Free Fall" in 1986 and for "Salsa Picante plus 2+2" in 1981. His film credits including Prince's "Under the Cherry Moon," for which he was orchestra composer and arranger. Born in Durand, Mich., Fischer got his start playing piano and writing jazz-inspired arrangements for the Hi-Lo's, an a capella quartet popular in the 1950s. He worked as the arranger on Gillespie's "Jazz Portrait of Duke Ellington." Fischer recorded 51 albums over his lifetime with his son Brent Fischer. The music ranges in style from jazz to salsa to symphonies. "Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept," Herbie Hancock is quoted as saying on Fischer's website. "(Fischer) and Bill Evans, and Ravel and Gil Evans, finally. You know, that's where it really came from. Almost all of the harmony that I play can be traced to one of those four people and whoever their influences were," Hancock said. Clare Fischer is survived by his wife, Donna; two sons and a daughter; and three grandchildren. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Universum sets up S3D animation arm

Paris-- In the run-up to the Feb. 7-10 Kidscreen Summit in NY, Jeremy Zag's French animation production company Univergroup is launching a film division, Zag Pictures, and is partnering with leading Korean studio SamG. Zag Pictures will be dedicated to producing high-profile S3D animated features, budgeted above 20 million ($26.4 million), and aims at tapping European and Anglo-American scribes and helmers who have worked on Hollywood animated tentpoles, Zag said. Zag's development roster includes $50 million "Miraculous Lady Bug," a Paris-set fantasy centering on a teenage girl with super powers, which is co-produced by Aton Soumache's Method Animation; and $30 million "Kobushi," a comedy a la "Tom and Jerry" turning on a family of sushi samurai.Both "Lady Bug" and "Kobushi" are being developped as TV series via Zag Toon, Univergroup's TV subsidiary.Gallic animator and storyboard artist Thomas Astruc, who created the original concept of "Lady Bug," will co-direct the TV skein and the toon feature. Zag, who plans on building a "Lady Bug" franchise, said he was finalizing a Master Toy deal.Univergroup was founded in 2008 by young entrepreneur Zag and Jacqueline Tordjman, an animation vet who worked alongside Haim Saban for nearly 25 years and brought cult shows like "Goldorak" and "Gadget and the Gadgetini" to French TV. Meanwhile, Zag Toon is expanding to Korea by merging with SamG, whose credits include French cartoons "Monk" and "7Cs," a series and feature project developed with U.S. shingle Man of Action. Rebranded Sam Zag, the Seoul-based studio will work exclusively on Univergroup's animated pics and TV skeins. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

RKO enlists scribe for new 'Saint'

RKO Pictures is reviving Simon Templar and "The Saint," signing Travis Wright ("Eagle Eye") to pen a script based on the debonair hero. The Saint, a sort of modern-day Robin Hood, was created by Leslie Charteris and first appeared in the 1928 book "Enter the Tiger." Known as the Saint because of his initials, Templar's targets included lowlifes and corrupt politicians; he often left a calling card at his "crimes," a stick figure of a man with a halo -- which served as the logo of the Charteris books, movies, and the 1960s TV series starring Roger Moore. Movies featuring the Saint began in 1938 with "The Saint in NY," then "The Saint Strikes Back" and several others. Ian Ogilvy starred in the 1978-79 series "Return of the Saint" and Val Kilmer starred in Paramount's 1997 version. RKO, with a legacy dating back to "Citizen Kane" and "King Kong," is expected to distribute drama "A Late Quartet," starrring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, and Christopher Walken. Wright and former partner John Glenn wrote drafts for remakes of "Clash of the Titans" at Warner Bros., "Journey to the Center of the Earth" at Fox and "The Warriors" at Paramount. Wright is repped by Benderspink. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

SPC didn't have 'Separation' anxieties

It had been the screening at Telluride that convinced The new sony Pictures Classic cake toppers Michael Barker and Tom Bernard that "A Separation" had the products.The reaction to the pic in the fest last fall am strong the SPC chiefs resolved to push filmmaker Asghar Farhadi for pointing and original script Oscar honors along with the film for foreign-lingo pic.Farhadi thought these were nuts. But on Tuesday morning, the helmer required a rest from focusing on a script in Paris to transmit the SPC duo an e-mail that started with: "Wow."Barker told Variety he wasn't surprised that Farhadi arrived an authentic script nom additionally towards the pic making the foreign-lingo cut.Barker and Bernard have damaged the word what barrier within the script category previously with foreign photos. Pedro Almodovar won the initial script trophy for 2002's "Speak with Me," while Agnieszka Holland was nommed for modified script in 1992 for "Europa Europa.""The (Acad's) authors branch has past having to pay focus on the standard from the work no matter in which the movie originates from,Inch Barker told Variety.Farhadi did the translation from the "Separation" script from Farsi to British themself. SPC managed to get open to people from the Academy of movement Picture Arts & Science's writing branch using a download, "and boy, did they download it," Barker stated.Farhadi stated the shock from the Academy recognition is consistent with the strange journey he's been in with "Separation.""For any very long time I'd this picture created within my mind," he told Variety. "I'm not sure the way it arrived, but when it had been there' just understood I needed to get this to film." Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

Contraband Swipes No. 1 Place At Box Office

First Launched: The month of the month of january 15, 2012 2:56 PM EST Credit: Getty Premium Caption Mark Wahlberg visits Late Evening With Jimmy Fallon at Rockefeller Center, NY City, around the month of the month of january 9, 2012LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Contraband handled to steal the most effective slot from rivals within the weekend box office. The Universal action drama film starring Mark Wahlberg just like a awesome smuggler first demonstrated above anticipation at No. 1 with $24 million, while Disneys 3-D rerelease of Beauty as well as the Animal waltzed to the No. 2 position with $18.5 million, according to studio estimations Sunday. Both films aided boost Hollywoods business carrying out a sluggish holidays. Its great by having an uptick inside the total box office, and Universal is thrilled that Contraband was the driving pressure behind that, mentioned Nikki Rocco, mind of distribution for your studio. In my opinion its combination of a great marketing campaign, audiences love Mark Wahlberg and (producer) Working Title developed a terrific movie, particularly for your cost. Pleased Noise, the Warner Bros. musical comedy starring Full Latifah and Dolly Parton, opened up up below anticipation with $11.3 million inside the No. 4 place behind Paramounts Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, which acquired $11.5 million within the fifth week, obtaining the entire haul in the fourth installment in the Tom Cruise action franchise to $186.7 million. The Demon Inside, Paramounts horror film that scared up a massive $33.7 million debut a week ago, experienced a steep 77 percent drop within the second weekend, coming at No. 6 with $7.9 million. Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian mentioned the movies terrifying plunge didnt matter because the individually produced movie already developed a huge profit. Horror movies typically drop large, but that is a massive drop, mentioned Dergarabedian. It doesn't matter because Demon Inside can be a profit-making machine. Just in case your money are low enough, who cares whether or not this drops large and youre generating money? Its already most likely probably the most lucrative films of history year, so theres nothing really to complain about there. Overall domestic revenues totaled $114.5 million, on componen concentrating on the same weekend a year ago, when the Eco-friendly Hornet introduced with $33.5 million as well as the box office totaled $115 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com. 1. Contraband, $24 million. 2. Beauty as well as the Animal, $18.5 million. 3. Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, $11.5 million. 4. Pleased Noise, $11.3 million. 5. An Online Detective: A Game Title Title of Shadows, $8.4 million. 6. The Demon Inside, $7.9 million. 7. The Woman while using Dragon Tattoo, $6.8 million. 8. Alvin as well as the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, $5.8 million. 9. War Equine, $5.6 000 0000. 10. The Iron Lady, $5.3 million. Copyright 2012 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

New Woman In Black Poster Debuts

UK theatrical quad unveiledYou might want to turn all the lights on and repaint your house a cheery shade of yellow, because The Woman InBlack is approaching and it's going to be really creepy. Perhaps a spare teddy bear or comfy blanket might be a good idea too, judging by this poster.{Woman In Black Exclusive}As you'll all know by now,Daniel Radcliffe stars in this period piece as the young lawyer sent to sort out the estate of a recently deceased recluse. But once at EelMarsh House, all sorts of unsettling things occur, and Radcliffe's Arthur Kripps becomes seriously wigged out.The film also features Ciaran Hinds, Janet McTeer and Roger Allam, and it's all directed by James Watkins and screenwritten by Jane Goldman. Screw your courage to the sticking place and go see it when it opens on February 10.

Pitt, Clooney headline starry Palm Springs gala

A hefty quotient of star energy switched out Saturday for your Palm Springs Film Festival honours gala around the balmy desert evening, just about all repping competitors inside the season's kudos race. Kaira Pitt used a stay with navigate the Palm Springs Convention Center red-colored-colored carpet, but reaches fine form while he recognized the actor award. Pitt thanked Bill Pohlad for backing ''The Tree of Life'' and Amy Pascal to get belief in ''Moneyball,'' ''no matter the amount of occasions she required to shut it lower.'' Accepting the Vanguard award for your ''Young Adult'' ensemble of Charlize Theron, Diablo Cody, Jason Reitman and themselves, comedian Patton Oswalt introduced, ''The Vanguard individuals who win will be the drunkest of.'' The heavy glass trophies produced by Dale Chihuly provided an easy target for humor. ''I may smoke this later,'' mentioned Gary Oldman. ''It is actually a bong,'' mentioned George Clooney, who was simply granted the fest's top recognition, the Chairman Award for ''The Descendants'' and ''The Ides of March.'' ''Most people don't achieve love their jobs,'' he mentioned in the warm-hearted speech.'' Just what the producers have no clue, Clooney mentioned, is always that ''actually we'd take action totally free.'' ''The Artist'' star Berenice Bejo convinced co-presenter Jean Dujardin to speak, saying ''Everybody desires to hear your voice.'' Helmer Michel Hazanavicius, who won the Visionary award, thanked French producer Thomas Langmann, telling him, ''I mentioned to not invest your individual money, but he did, so thanks.'' The scope of worldwide star champion Oldman's clip montage impressed everybody else, as presenter Adrien Brody introduced, ''Holy shit, this can be a reel!'' Actress champion Michelle Williams mentioned she wanted Lana Turner in their lifetime may have had the encounters she'd within the gala. The career achievement award visited Glenn Close, who channeled memorable figures Cruella p Ville and ''Fatal Attraction's'' Alex Forrest. Fellow ''Big Chill'' cast member Rob Goldblum presented the award, and Close introduced her career full circle by explaining ''My journey becoming an actress kind of began with Albert Nobbs.'' Youthful ''Extremely Noisy and very Close'' thesp Thomas Horn ably introduced director award champion Steven Daldry using co-star Tom Hanks. The helmer reminded you need to tell the tales of 9/11 being that they are not trained in any national curriculum. Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com

Surprise villain for your Avengers?

Forget trailers, interviews and also on-set photography... if the involves acquiring the drop round the latest Hollywood blockbuster, examining the neighborhood toy shop is what you would like. The other day we reported how a web-based-controlled vehicle had distributed a preliminary proper think about the Amazing Spider-Man's Lizard, which week, a completely new toy appears to own distributed one of the Avengers' finest secrets.Take a look within the following marketing blurb from HeroClix, producers in the official kind of Avengers figures and then try to place anything surprising..."Charging completely from theaters as well as on your tabletop, Marvel's the Avengers Movie HeroClix set features heroes like Captain America and Thor simply because they fight the villainy in the Red-colored-colored Skull and Loki!"The Red-colored-colored Skull? Well, this is a alternative here! Before we'd Hugo Weaving's crimson-faced villain, he was vaporised with the energy in the Cosmic Cube within the finish of Captain America: The Initial Avenger.However, every Marvel fanboy will show you, the Cosmic Cube's strange, reality-altering forces are capable of doing all types to people they ensnare, including moving someone with time and space...We're assuming HeroClix haven't knocked up a Red-colored-colored Skull action figure just for the hell from this, so anticipate seeing the Avengers facing off against not just Loki when the film involves Uk cinemas on 27 April 2012.