Connecticut Supports Effort To Help Keep Disney Boss And Chairman Jobs Separate

The campaign to bar Boss Bob Iger from also becoming Disney’s chairman has acquired a small little bit of momentum. TheNutmeg condition’s treasurer, Denise Nappier, states that they willuse the votes in the 642,000 Disney shares in Connecticut’s retirement funds to oppose the board people around the Nominating And Governance Committee who drove your time and effort to provide Iger the very best two jobs this season, when John Pepper steps lower as chairman. Nappier’s announcement follows an identical recomendation a week ago from investor advisory firm Institutional Investor Services. It is extremely disturbing that Disney has selected to embrace a regressive policy that may impair it's role to supervise executive management with respect to investors, Nappier stated inside a statement reported by Bloomberg. Nappier has additionally opposed mixing the Boss and chairman jobs at others, including Bank of America. Pepper taken care of immediately Nappier’s announcement by stating that 68% of normal & Poor’s 100 greatest companies have an individual becoming Boss and chairman. Disney’s decision to combine the jobs “was a fundamental element of a thoughtful and thoroughly consideredsuccession and management transition plan,” he stated. The condition treasurer’s position “utterlydisregards both Companys record of monetary performance which nine from the ten company directors is going to be independent, including a completely independent lead directorwith responsibilities and duties that exceed in scope individuals suggested by governance experts.”

Former WB Italia maven takes Rome fest's top job

ROME -- Outgoing Warner Bros. Italia topper Paolo Ferrari continues to be hired prexy from the Rome Film Festival, paving the way in which for that probable appointment of former Venice chief Marco Mueller as Rome artistic director now. Ferrari, also former mind of Italo movie org Anica using one of Italy's respected film executives, will need to tackle some thorny issues relating to dates and venues for that Rome fest and it is Business Street mart. There's been a large brouhaha lately after news reviews that Mueller was mulling slotting the big event at the end of November, potentially walking around the Turin fest's toes as well as appearing a arranging conflict using the fest's current venue, Rome's Auditorium Parco Della Musica. Mueller, who had been ousted from Venice inside a energy struggle in December after eight years around the Lido, has ambitious plans for Rome, though he's keeping mother until he's firmly within the saddle. The possibilities of new management for Rome in past several weeks motivated a fierce political fight that risked killing the big event. However the Italian industry largely views Ferrari and Mueller the best team to accept seven-year-old fest one stage further, making the most of the truth that the Eternal City is Italy's industry hub. Competition between Rome and Venice will in the end increase, though not always with negative effects for either event. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com

Foundation salutes TV execs

It takes a lot to get any kid through college, let alone those in schools with high dropout rates. Since 1987, the I Have a Dream Foundation -- Los Angeles has "adopted" nearly 1,000 students in underprivileged schools, providing them with mentoring and tutoring programs from third to 12th grade and scholarship coin after graduation. On Sunday, the org will salute DreamWorks TV toppers Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and ABC drama development exec Channing Dungey with its Dream Keeper Award for their support of its work. "Private Practice" star Amy Brenneman will emcee the 14th annual Dreamers Brunch at the Skirball Cultural Center. Contact Shalini Dore at shali.dore@variety.com

Salma Hayek Makes A Prophet

Producing Kahlil Gibran adaptationIt was first published in 1923 and remains one of the best-selling books of all time, so it seems extraordinary that nobody has attempted a film adaptation of Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet before. That's about to change, in an ambitious project being shepherded by Salma Hayek and producers Clark Peterson and Ron Senkowski.Gibran's book is a long-form poem (written in English, although Gibran generally wrote in Arabic), the narrative of which sees the prophet Al-Nabi about to embark on an ocean voyage, but waylayed on his way to the docks by a succession of people who prompt him into discussions of life, the universe and everything. It's a "spiritual classic", but adaptable to all faiths, whether deeply or casually held, since it doesn't adhere to any specific religion.As a film, the plan is an animated anthology delivered by multiple directors. Among the contributers are Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis), Tomm Moore (The Secret Of Kells), Nina Paley (Sita Sings The Blues), Joan Gratz (Mona Lisa Descending A Staircase), Mohammed Saeed Harib (Freej) and Bill Plympton (Guard Dog). Each will take a chapter, and the linking story will be courtesy of Roger Allers (The Lion King)."The Prophet has been an incredible source of wisdom and inspiration for millions of people all over the world," says Hayek. "Being of Lebanese descent, I'm particularly proud to be part of a project that will present this masterpiece to new generations, in a way never seen before."Harib says "It's an immense honor to be able to translate the works of one of the Arab world's most cherished writers into the visual realm. I am thrilled to be amongst such esteemed animation directors assigned to bring The Prophet to the big screen and to the 21st century."Pre-production begins later this month.

New Wrath Of The Titans trailer arrives

Wrath Of The Titans has released a new trailer giving audiences a closer look at some of the terrible Titans Sam Worthington's Perseus will be squaring off against, and it has to be said they look bigger and more fearsome than ever.The new teaser outlines the same plot points we saw in earlier teasers (Liam Neeson's Zeus informing Perseus that the Titans have broken free and Ralph Fiennes' Hades revelling in the ensuing mayhem), with a few added shots of the Titans in action.Take a look at the new trailer below, and revel in a whirlwind of CGI bluster... From the latest footage, we'd say that the flame-bodied Kronos looks the most impressive of the Titans, with the scene in which Perseus rides Pegasus into battle against him sure to be a standout.The two-headed Chimera also looks pretty badass, although we're not sure about Perseus' plan to use a wooden shield to protect himself against its fiery breath!Wrath Of The Titans opens in the UK on 30 March 2012. Winged horses wouldn't keep us away...

Adopt Films Acquires Silver Bear Winner Barbara: Berlin

Adopt Films is continuing its spending spree at the Berlin International Film Festival, landing U.S. rights to Christian Petzold’s drama Barbarajust before the film won the runner-up Silver Bear at the festival’s awards ceremony yesterday. The latest deal, announced today, comes after Adopt picked up the festival’s eventual Golden Bear winner, Paolo and Vittorio Tavianis semi-documentary Caesar Must Die. The distributor also nabbed rights in Berlin toUrsula Meiers Sister. Adopt plansa December theatrical release for Barbara– which is set in 1980 East Berlin and stars Nina Hoss as a doctor banished to a small country hospital far from freedom in the west — and said it will mount an Oscar campaign for Petzold and his lead actors. If so, it’s an aggressive move from Jeff Lipsky and Tim Grady’s Adopt, which hasn’t released its first film yet; its kickoff pic, The Ballad Of Genesis And Lady Jaye, bows March 8.

Watch two new clips from John Carter

Two new clips from Disney's sci-fi epic John Carter are for sale to watch online.The very first shows Martian princess Dejah Thoris (the gorgeous and scantily-clad Lynn Collins) telling John Carter (the handsome and scantily clad Taylor Kitsch) about his new location within the universe.[brightcove]1459036798001[/brightcove]The 2nd sees the happy couple running lower a martian canyon using a rickety boat (not everything on Mars is high-tech), like a swarm of ugly beasties (and Mark Strong) look on menacingly.[brightcove]1459036799001[/brightcove]The Edgar Grain Burroughs tales the film continues to be modified from are stated to possess inspired from The Exorcist to Avatar.Discover it the film lives as much as any one of individuals movies when it is launched within the United kingdom on 9 March 2012.