Actor Graham Brown dies at 87

Actor Graham Brown, who performed with Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater (of which he was a founding member), the NY Shakespeare Festival, London's newly reconstructed Globe Theater and most notably the Negro Ensemble Company, died of pulmonary failure on Tuesday, Dec. 13, to at the Lillian Booth Actors' Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, N.J. He was 87 and had been a resident of the Booth since 2009. Onstage, one of Brown's most memorable roles was Jared Philibert, the patriarch of a Caribbean family encased entirely in an iron lung, with only his head visible, in Steve Carter's play "Nevis Mountain Dew." He originated the role at the NEC and reprised it in the West Coast premiere, receiving a Los Angeles Critics' Circle Award for best actor. On television he played a judge and a minister on "Law and Order," recurred on "Days of Our Lives" and played a school principal on "Sanford and Son." He also guested on "Ironside," "Lou Grant" and "Cagney and Lacey." Brown's bigscreen credits included Spike Lee's "Malcolm X" and "Clockers" as well as "The Muppets Take Manhattan," in which he played Mr. Wrightson, the irritable department store manager. His distinctive voice could be heard in many voiceovers and commercials. Robert E. Brown was born in NY City and was a boxer for a time. He is survived by a daughter, a grandson and a sister. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Time Warner Cable can get Cinemax Go

The extended-anticipated arrival of Cinemax Visit Time Warner Cable has finally happen carrying out a twelve month of discussions. The nation's second greatest cable operator introduced the pay net's digital on-demand platform will probably be available free next month to Cinemax subs among TW Cable's footprint of 14 million. "We're happy that time Warner Cable clients will have a way to love this great product which gives streaming of HBO's programming library," mentioned Eric Kessler, co-leader of Cinemax. That leaves Cablevision since the only major MSO which has yet to attain a deal to produce Cinemax Visit its service. Despite the fact that these were part of the same conglom just before the cable operator was spun off this past year, there's mentioned being little love lost involving the companies, which introduced to attracted-out discussions. The Cinemax Go application remains download an thought 5 million occasions, and created 98 million video streams. Subs can feast on all current and library programming within the cabler's chest of original series, films and documentaries. But TW Cable subs also got a little of not so great Friday as Monosodium glutamate Systems, where you can many professional NY sports teams, indicated it may be yanked within the MSO's selection once the companies can't achieve a deal around the carriage renewal. "Sadly, Time Warner Cable is not considering reaching an acceptable agreement, and, really, is not considering carrying out productive discussions regarding its clients," mentioned Michael Bair, leader of Monosodium glutamate Media. "Because of that, we advise our clients switch companies before Time Warner Cable pulls MSG's systems off its systems." Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

France set to smash B.O. records

France, Europe's finest film market, is on course to smash box-office revenue records this season -- for that 35th month running. Total B.O. through November showed up at 191.3 million admissions -- about 1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) in grosses -- 2% on 2010's first 11 several days, France's CNC film board estimations. Distribbed by Gaumont, Gallic comedy "Intouchables" has sustained traction in November, notching up an remarkable $110.millions of through 12 ,. 13. Powered by "Intouchables," Studiocanal comedy "Hollywoo" and "Puss in Boots," French box office supervised inside the initial few times of December about 20% within the same period a year ago. "Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol" bowed Wednesday with a promising otherwise stellar first-day $946,557. Another feel-good French comedy, "La Delicatesse," starring Audrey Tautou, opens 12 ,. 21. "Intouchables," "M:I 4" and "Delicatesse" should take French B.O. substantially past 2010's total trawl of 206.5 million tix offered, the finest ticket sales since 1967, which repped around Euros1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) in general grosses, a thrilling-time high for Gaul. There has been no notable partner December bows this season. "French box office will probably be beyond a year ago,Inch together with an archive all-time Euro gross, mentioned Serge Siritzky, editor of French film-TV publication Ecran Total. Carrying out a poor first quarter, French movies drove Gaul's box-office rally (see Variety, November. 10), nabbing a 40% business through November. French cinema has tips "from an array of films this season,In . including Golden Globe nomination-leader "The Artist," an arthouse title, which has loved commercial success, Siritzky mentioned. Elsa Keslassy brought with this article. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

The Very Best Quotes from James Franco's Overview of 'Breaking Dawn'

James Franco can formally add "movie critic" to his multi-hyphenate job description of "Actor-director-author-painter-performance artist-music performer," and that he could not have selected a much better movie to ply his new trade on: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning - Part 1.' In the latest article for that Paris Review, the most likely-one-time-Oscar-host compares and contrasts the blockbuster vampire cleaning soap opera with George Clooney's Oscar-hopeful 'The Descendants.' Franco makes some interesting points regarding both films' utilization of sex and exactly how they appear to "devalue motherhood" it's worth a read if you possess the time -- but when you are all thinking about at this time is Franco's excessively Franco-esque a reaction to Taylor Lautner's abs, we have managed to get simple for you. Following the jump read the most popular lines from James Franco's 'Twilight' review. 1. "A couple of other forbidden areas are damaged in too. The protagonists finally marry, getting anxiously waited before the smart senior years of 18, because the book and also the film dutifully demonstrate to them being get married, they're then permitted to f--- each others' brains out. For any film that states be sexually responsible, the 'Twilight' movies are awfully determined by teenage sex to draw in audiences." 2. "'The Descendants' and 'Breaking Dawn' were launched on a single weekend. Unquestionably the first is creating a play to have an Oscar. Unquestionably another will dominate every MTV award category, including best hug, best dude moment, best male shirtless scene, and other things the network that creates 'the Jersey Shore' remembers." 3. "The stars prance about like bits of meat, their disturbingly developed physiques on full display Taylor Lautner's rippling teenage chest is simply a little much better than the kid beauty-pageant stars in the finish of Little Miss Sunshine.'" You may also read Franco's ideas on 'Restless' and 'My Own Private Idaho' in the Review hopefully, his progressively-hectic agenda will not get when it comes to writing more. [through the Paris Review] [Photo: Summit FilmMagic] 'The Twilght Saga: Breaking Beginning - Part 1' Image Gallery From wedding ceremonies to werewolves, Moviefone has got the full-line of images in the approaching romance saga. See All Moviefone Art galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Serta Gilroy Signs Onto Pen Stan Lees Chinese Super hero Pic

Film writer Serta Gilroy originates aboard to pen china super hero project The Annihilator (working title) for Miracle Storm Entertainment. CEOEric Mika stated Gilroy would write the script introducing theStan Lee super hero to global audiences such as the Chinese market asthe first film project from the global film-financing partnership created by Stan Lee Bang! Entertainment and Ricco Capital-Fidelis Entertainment.Thestory concerns a youthful guy who turns into a super hero who returns to his homeland to mete out justice.Gilroy’s credits include Real Steel, The Bourne Legacy and 2 Your Money Can Buy. Lee referred to The Annihilator as “the most incrediblyoriginal and different super hero Ive produced inside a very long time and stated recognized who added “it’s a pleasure to possess a submit getting this towards the screen.” Gilroy is repped by CAA.

A Supernatural Hookup? Vampire Diaries' Sara Canning to Play Dean's Lust Interest

Sara Canning, Vampire Diaries and Jensen Ackles, Supernatural) It's a tough job being a demon hunter, but if you look like Dean Winchester the job can have its perks. Former Vampire Diaries star Sara Canning will guest-star as a character who will have a warm encounter with Dean on an upcoming January episode of Supernatural, TVLine reports. Ringer casts Supernatural's Misha Collins Executive producer Sera Gamble describes Canning's Lydia as "wry, independent and as fun-loving as Dean" and confirms that two will have a "memorable evening that takes an unexpected turn." Of course, when it comes to Supernatural, "unexpected" could mean almost anything, especially this season when the Leviathan have been known to impersonate and, well, eat people. Canning is best known as Elena and Jeremy's Aunt Jenna who was sadly sacrificed by Klaus on Vampire Diaries. Supernatural airs Fridays at 9/8c on The CW. Do you like the idea of a Dean hookup? Or do you miss his old relationship?