Trade Round-Up: Stacey Snider's Vacation May Be Cut Short
In perhaps the least surprising development in the continuing story of Paramount's shakeup, Stacey Snider might be sprung from her Universal contract and working at DreamWorks in as little as a few weeks. We hope she gets back her security deposit for the 10-month vacation she'd been planning. [THR]
Will Smith will star in the feature adaptation of the TV series It Takes a Thief for Universal, in which he will play "a charming rogue who is blackmailed by the government into doing covert larceny for the good of his country." After stretching to kiss a fat man in Hitch, it's nice to see that Smith continues to challenge himself with different kinds of charming roles. [Variety]
Variety analyzes the closing of theatrical windows, which dropped 11% for films that grossed over $50 million in 2005. Bored yet? You shouldn't be—the closing of the theatrical window foreshadows an entertainment industry apocalypse that will once again plunge us into the days of communal cave painting viewing. Cave paintings directed by Brett Ratner. Yeah, now you're listening. [Variety]
· Big Love drops about 1.2 million viewers between its premiere and this week's episode, and isn't holding its Sopranos lead-in audience well. How many more times does Bill Paxton have to show his ass to please you people? Don't make the man resort to full frontal. [THR]
Mid-seasons The Unit, The New Adventures of Old Christine, American Inventor and Deal or No Deal (for our money, the stupidest show on television, yet we've now watched it twice, powerless against the spectacle of people yelling at briefcases held by supermodels) are scoring well for their respective networks. [Variety]