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· Sony's last-gasp hope to end a disastrous year on a positive note, Fun With Dick and Jane, opens today against sequeltastic family pap Cheaper By The Dozen 2, as the two comedies compete for second place against King Kong. Indeed, this is news on the Wednesday before Christmas. [Variety]
· Against virtually no competition, NBC's Deal or No Deal steamed to a Tuesday night ratings win, prompting the network to erect a 50-foot-tall bronze statue honoring Howie Mandel. [THR]
· Despite the fact that the movie is opening in NY and LA for Christmas, director Terrence Malick is still cutting down The New World, preparing a 15-20 minute shorter version (Colin Farrell goes from John Smith to Explorer #3?) that may be used when the film goes into wide release. [Variety]
· Aspiring filmmakers: No matter how skillful your microbudgeted Star Wars fan film is, Hollywood is not impressed. [THR]
· The ongoing legal battle between actress Rosa "Strong Medicine" Blasi and her manager has Larger Implications For The Industry, as the courts try to decide if talent can fire their managers for getting them jobs, thereby violating the Catch-22-esque 1978 Talent Agencies Act.. [Variety]