Sofia Coppola To Wed In Ancestral Italian Town

ROME, Italy -- Filmmaker Sofia Coppola is going back to her roots, getting married Saturday in the remote, southern Italian town where her great-grandfather was born. Coppola is marrying Thomas Mars, lead singer of the French rock band Phoenix and the father of their two young daughters, in Bernalda, near the Gulf of Taranto in Italys Basilicata region. The ceremony will take place in the garden of a historic palazzo that her famous father, Francis Ford Coppola, has renovated in Bernaldas historic center, according to mayor Leonardo Chiruzzi. The senior Coppola plans to turn it into a luxury boutique hotel. Bernalda, near the UNESCO-recognized troglodyte settlement of Matera to the north, was home to the elder Coppolas grandfather, Agostino, before he emigrated to the United States. Chiruzzi, who is due to perform the civil ceremony, said the wedding would be simple but beautiful. If they wanted to do a Hollywood wedding, they wouldnt have done it here, Chiruzzi said by phone on the eve of the nuptials. (They) chose to do it here because its here its here that is beautiful. There was no immediate word on guests, but the ANSA news agency said they included Johnny Depp and Talia Shire, the brides aunt, who is best known for her roles in her brothers The Godfather films and as Sylvester Stallones girlfriend Adrian in Rocky. Sofia Coppolas 2003 film Lost in Translation won the 40-year-old filmmaker an Academy Award for original screenplay and made her the third woman ever nominated for a directing Oscar. Her 2010 film Somewhere, about an actor who sees the emptiness of his existence through the eyes of his child, won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice film festival last year. She divorced fellow filmmaker Spike Jonze in 2003. The elder Coppola has become something of a spokesman for Basilicata, a poor region located on the arch of boot-shaped Italy. In a promotional video for the area, he reminisced about his grandfathers tales about Bernalda and extolled Basilicatas unspoiled and largely unknown beauty and culture. Matera is on UNESCOs world heritage list, prized as an example of a traditional human settlement that dates from Palaeolithic times. The famous sassi, caves dug into the soft tufa rock that gives Matera the look of ancient Jerusalem, were used as primitive, one-room homes and remain a tourist draw today. Some have been renovated and turned into trendy hotels, but the area remains so ancient- looking that Mel Gibson shot much of The Passion of the Christ there.Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Most Eligible Dallas

Neill Skylar and Matt Nordgren in "Most Eligible Dallas"Produced by Pink Sneaker Prods. Executive producers, Kimberly Belcher Cowin, John Ehrhard; co-executive producer, Gabriela Tavakoli; supervising field producer, David Lasman; story producers, Ruth Golden, Rebecca Goldman, Shayla Hebron, Jamie Iracleanos, Liz Kerrigan, Philip Perrault, Lauren Simms. 60 MIN.With: Matt Nordgren, Courtney Kerr, Glenn Pakulak, Drew Ginsburg, Tara Harper, Neill Skylar.Two years after "Miami Social" -- another contrived docu-soap about the young, fabulous and unabashedly narcissistic -- Bravo embarks on a similar conceit with "Most Eligible Dallas," focusing on a group of club-hopping socialites whose adventures, down to the slick opening credits, have a decidedly storyboarded feel to them. The press release claims this bunch will prove "that everything's bigger in Texas -- including the drama." The hair, maybe. The drama, IQs and entertainment value, not so much. At the center of the action is Matt Nordgren, a former college quarterback who states without a hint of a smile near the outset, "I've been groomed to be a great man." His best friend, Courtney Kerr, in her own direct-to-camera confessional avers, "I'm not into jerks, I'm not into a--holes," which not only rules out Matt, but pretty much everyone else in the show. Not that Courtney doesn't get irritated when Matt orchestrates a night out and other girls hang on his oiled arms, protesting too much that she's not jealous. Unfortunately, there's no other way to perceive her response to Neill Skylar, the blonde singer/single mom who has just returned to Dallas. And so it goes -- a soap opera where the acting is worse than most soap operas, and the "characters" keep constantly saying how perfect, fabulous and eligible they are. Among the other members of "Most Eligible Dallas" (or Club "MED" for short) are an NFL punter named Glenn Pakulak, who takes up modeling on the side; and a luxury car dealer, Drew Ginsburg, who is both the token gay guy and (this being Texas) brags about how macho he is. Clearly, Bravo is going after a "Dallas" vibe (as in the old Larry Hagman version), and the seven credited "story producers" suggests a writing staff nearly equal to that on a scripted drama. But the cast proves profoundly boring -- and aside from the sculpted abs, not really as hot as the show paints them. Presumably, Matt's relationships, and their impact on Courtney, will provide a baseline to the other hook-ups and conquests to come, but the whole exercise feels so staged and massaged it's hard to imagine anyone but the most gullible harboring even a modest rooting interest. Then again, Bravo has certainly done well enough recycling the same concepts, as if in conceptual tribute to its "green" initiatives. That said, amid a crowded field of the young and toned looking for love, those who dare enter "MED" will encounter a pretty toxic environment. Contact Brian Lowry at brian.lowry@variety.com

TNT Renews Drama 'Leverage' For Season 5

TNT has renewed its light caper drama Leverage for a fifth season with a 15-episode order. Season 5 will launch next summer. The series, starring Timothy Hutton as the leader of a gang of grifters, hackers and thieves out to settle scores against the rich and powerful, will wrap its summer run Aug. 28 and then return with the conclusion of its fourth season in November. Leverage is the latest TNT series to be renewed this summer following the recent pickups of Rizzoli & Isles, Falling Skies and Franklin & Bash. Men of a Certain Age has been canclled and there is still no word on Hawthorne and Memphis Beat. Leverage premiered in 2008 and has grown its audience in each of its four seasons. This summer, it has averaged 4.8 million viewers, up 10% over Season 3, with 1.9 million adults 18-49 (+6%). Leverage is produced by Dean Devlins Electric Entertainment, with Dean Devlin and creators John Rogers and Chris Downey serving as executive producers.

Tinker joins 'Glee' cast

"Friday Night Lights" alum LaMarcus Tinker is moving over to "Glee." Tinker, who begins working on the show today, will have a recurring role playing the character Marcus, a love interest for Amber Riley's Mercedes. On "Friday Night Lights," Tinker played a linebacker on the East Dillon Lions. He's also appeared on "Cougar Town" last season. There has been speculation that a number of cast members may be leaving after the upcoming season, but nothing has become officially announced. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

Actor Claude Laydu dies at 84

The unnamed priest is wracked by self-doubt as well as a physical ailment that is eventually diagnosed as stomach cancer, and he dies after achieving an unexplained state of grace. French actor Claude Laydu, who starred in the title role of Robert Bresson's classic film "Diary of a Country Priest," died on July 29 of a heart condition in Paris. He was 84. Laydu made his screen debut in Bresson's 1951 film, an adaptation of Georges Bernanos' 1937 novel about a sickly but ascetic young cleric at his first parish in a small provincial town that proves hostile to his earnest morality. Born in Brussels, Laydu was a young actor at Theatre Marigny in Paris (and a practicing Catholic) when Bresson chose him for the role, for which he lost weight to achieve the necessary gaunt appearance. Laydu appeared in more than a dozen films during the 1950s. His second film was the 1951 light comedy "Le Voyage en Amerique," starring Pierre Fresnais, but his role in "Diary of a Country Priest" influenced the tenor of his career. At least twice he appeared again as a priest, in Rafael Gil's critically acclaimed 1953 film "I Was a Parish Priest," in which Laydu starred, and 1954's "Rasputin," and he played Saint Etienne in the religious epic "The Road to Damascus"; portrayed the brother of a nun in "Les dialogues des Carmelites"; and wrestled with big moral questions in "Au coeur de la casbah" and "Nous sommes tous des assassins," about the death penalty. He played the composer Franz Schubert in 1956's "Sinfonia d'amore" and appeared opposite his wife, Christine Balli, in "Italienisches capriccio" (1961). Laydu and Balli produced the children's puppet show "Bonne nuit les petits," which ran on French TV for more than 10 years beginning in 1962 -- the idea was to help get kids to sleep -- and returned in the 1990s. Laydu's survivors include his wife, a son and a daughter. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Tyler Perry TV? Lionsgate States It's Wise, But Will not Confirm Plans

Lionsgate Boss Jon Feltheimer sure talks as if the business's searching to produce a TV funnel around Tyler Perry -- Tyler TV --despite the fact that he states he "can't comment" on the report about this. He told experts today that "we strongly support" the thought of getting Perry to "exciting new platforms." That may incorporate a "not fully distributed (cable) funnel that people could buy" or nesting Perry at "a funnel finances. ... We now have plenty of choices as we had opted lower that path." The Brand New You are able to Occasions states today that the organization is thinking about rebranding its battling TV Guide Network, purchasing a funnel for example Gospel Broadcasting Network, or joining with Comcast, which guaranteed federal authorities who approved its purchase of NBCUniversal it would strengthen programming for minority audiences. Also about the call, Lionsgate professionals spoken up their plans for that Hunger Games. The very first film in what's apt to be a four-film series completes principal photography on Labor Day weekend in front of a March 2012 release. However the studio states it will not release the 2nd film until Thanksgiving 2013 since it really wants to make use of the large holidays audiences -- and also to give itself time for you to focus on the script and marketing plans.The productions will not always be shot back-to-back, although there is a chance the second and third payments willbe. On other matters, Feltheimer states he wishes more cable operators had acquired Epix -- but he's satisfied because it's lucrative. "We are pretty much in front of where we thought we'd be." The Boss also spoken up possibilities to market movies and Television shows to digital streaming companies for example Netflix. "The development is happening worldwide in addition to locally," he states -- although he wouldn't confirm a study that Lionsgate includes a United kingdom cope with Netflix. Many companies now want exclusive deals, but Feltheimer states the organization wants to be certain that there are competition. He added that "you want to keep your terms as short as you possibly can.Inch Lionsgate shares are up 2% at the begining of buying and selling after the organization reported it was lucrative within the quarter that led to June.

Will VUDU's iPad Application Help Walmart To Outflank iTunes?

Walmart is going to fire an alert shot at Apple's iTunes: The retail colossus will introduce on Wednesday an iPad application because of its VUDU movie purchase and rental service. "We are devoted to providing the VUDU experience on as numerous products as you possibly can so clients can look for and access a common movies and Television shows nonetheless they want, every time they want," states VUDU gm Edward Lichty. Walmart includes a mixed history in video. Although it is the leading seller of Dvd disks, the retail chain unsuccessful in order to produce a Netflix-like mail rental service. Additionally, it happened in itspartnership with H . P . to provide movie downloads. Walmart bought VUDU this year and it has gradually been building it right into a service that's too effective to disregard. The store states that VUDU can be obtained on a lot more than 300 electronics products such as the Ps 3, which makes it probably the most broadly accessible broadband pay-per-view service. Its library includes a lot more than 20,000 movies and Television shows and canbe streamed at full 1080p high-definition video quality with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 multichannel audio.

Totally True Love

When the new boy in class, Jrgen, moves into the haunted house down the road Annes world turns upside-down; she falls head over heals in love with him. All the girls in Annes class fall for Jrgen as well, including beautiful blonde pony-tailed Ellen. But that is of no hindrance to Anne; she is willing to go further than anyone to win him over. When done in the name of love, everything is allowed..

Quinto's company goes 'Banshee'

Zachary Quinto's production company Prior To The Door Pictures is joining up with Sunchaser Entertainment and German producer Christian Arnold-Beutel to create horror feature "The Banshee Chapter." Blair Erickson can make his feature directorial debut about the project, helming from their own script. Project's in pre-production in New Mexico with shooting set to begin later this month. Sunchaser Entertainment's Stephanie Riggs and BTD's Corey Moosa will produce. Arnold-Beutel will executive producer together with Quinto and BTD's Neal Dodson and Sean Akers. Story's centered on a lady journalist who follows the mysterious trail of the missing friend who was simply experimentation with mind-changing chemicals coded in secret government drug tests. "We're excited to branch in our storytelling," describes Quinto. "We have created a film concerning the financial crash as well as an innovative, grounded romantic comedy." BTD's first feature, J.C. Chandor's "Margin Call," opened at Sundance and will also be launched locally by Kerbside Points of interest and Lionsgate on March. 21. The organization is presently in publish-production with an untitled romantic comedy, which covered with May. Sunchaser Entertainment is within publish-manufacture of "The Standbys," a documentary about Broadway understudies and standbys. Arnold-Beutel has professional created "The Ledge," "Ironclad" and "Flypaper." Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Watch Harrison Ford Decapitate a Papa Smurf Doll

Insult meet injury: Not only did Cowboys & Aliens defeat The Smurfs at the box office over the weekend by slightly more than three apples, but C&A star Harrison Ford used his guest appearance on Conan last night to brutally murder a Papa Smurf doll. Not cool, Han Solo. Not. Cool. Click through to watch the smurfed up video evidence. Guess he still has some pent-up aggression about that whole Chewbacca incident. [via Movies.com]