U.K.'s Mara buys 'Yellow Boots'

LONDON -- Mara Pictures, a boutique distrib focusing on South Asian themed films, has acquired U.K. theatrical rights for helmer Anurag Kashyap's "That Girl in Yellow Boots."The Hindi, English and Kannada-language film follows a British woman who takes a journey through Mumbai's underbelly in quest of her missing father. Pic stars Kalki Koechlin and Indian indie veteran Naseeruddin Shah.The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year and has played in several fests worldwide since.Kashyap is in the vanguard of India's burgeoning indie film movement and is known for edgy fare like "Black Friday," "Dev.D" and "Gulaal."IndiePix will release the film in North America on Sept. 2. Mara is planning a U.K. release in the last quarter of this year.Mara has also acquired "Kidulthood" helmer Menhaj Huda's coming-of-age drama "Everywhere and Nowhere" for a Sept. 11 U.K. re-release. Pic was released independently by its producers in May and underperformed at the box office. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

E! Signs Ross Mathews to New Talk Show Pilot Development and Talent Deal (Exclusive)

E! EntertainmentRoss Mathews on E!'s "Chelsea Recently." Ross Mathews is walking up in to the large league. The frequent contributor and often guest host for Chelsea Recently has signed an extensive development and talent cope with E! Entertainment. "It truly is time and that i seem like I am ready now," Mathews, 31, informs The Hollywood Reporter solely. "I understand how to speak with the crowd. I understand how to speak with celebs. And That I know my perspective.Inch Photos: The Evolution of Chelsea Handler Underneath the brand new one-year agreement, Mathews will build up their own talk show pilot together with Chelsea Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions. He'll also formally serve among E!'s featured talents. "We have been doing stuff together a couple of years, but this really causes it to be official," he states from the talent a part of the new deal. "And what exactly this can do is kind of set our relationship and say I am likely to be among E!'s people now." "When individuals see my face," he continues. "I would like these phones say, 'Oh my gosh, that's Ross from E!' and 'I know where you can stay tuned to determine him.' " In 2001, national audiences first met Mathews like a correspondent about the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he grew to become referred to as "Ross the Intern." Mathews still adds towards the show occasionally. He's also made an appearance on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, guest located about the View, and held a recurring role about the NBC cleaning soap, Times of our way of life. He's additionally a national representative for that Jenny Craig weight reduction company. On E!, Mathews continues to be featured on Chelsea Recently, After Recently, E! News, and Live in the Red-colored Carpet. Underneath the new deal, he'll still show up on individuals programs regularly. "I have been generating my stripes within the last decade," he informs us. "And extremely honing my craft so far as surrounding myself with individuals that inspire me like Jay Leno and Chelsea Handler. I have been so lucky they provided my chance to build up a obvious voice the audience has taken care of immediately.Inch In The month of january, he created, co-authored and starred inside a pilot for E! alongside Chelsea Recently contributor, Louise McDonald, that ultimately did not get acquired through the network. Mathews is symbolized by Creative Artists Agency and Degenkolb Entertainment. Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com Twitter: @TheRealJethro RELATED: Kim Kardashian Is Formally Betrothed: 5 Ways She Made It Happen Her Way E! Grows Roles for 2 Professionals More E! Coverage on THR E! Entertainment

'Avengers,' 'John Carter,' 'Brave': The 5 Coolest Presentations at Disney's D23 Expo

Disney gave several thousand fans a sneak peek at its film lineup, plus announced a few surprises, at the movie presentation portion of D23 Expo, the company¹s burgeoning Comic-Con-like convention held in Anaheim on Saturday. Sean Bailey, production chief for nearly two years, said when putting together his live-action slate, he is guided by a quote from Walt himself, which goes something like: "I do not make films for children, I make them for the child in all of us, whether we are six of 60." Here are the five presentations that most impressed Heat Vision: 1. Brave This could be the best thing coming out of the convention. The movie, set in medieval Scotland, is a first for Pixar in several ways: Its first fairy tale, its first period movie, and its first to star a female character. The story follows a skilled archer named Merida, who is being forced by her parents to marry in order to keep the peace between the Highland clans. It features a witch, a demon bear, and stunning animation. Director Mark Andrew and producer Katherine Sarafian, with an assist from voice actors Kelly Macdonald and Kevin McKidd, showed two clips. Both suggest Pixar will set another high bar for what animation can achieve. It's the second scene that really impressed. Three dorky suitors are forced to test their archery skills in order to win the woman's hand. Merida, however, is the best archer in the land, and she bests them all, defying her mother, who tries to stop her from firing the third and final arrow. VIDEO:'Avengers' Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth On Hypothetical Fight Between Thor and Iron Man The scenes show Pixar at its best: they are funny, dramatic and action-packed, and each character is so sharply drawn that you become attached to them almost immediately. The slow-motion shot of Merida firing the last arrow as a total act of defiance to her mother had the audience collectively holding its breath. 2. John Carter Almost a tie for first place, this live-action adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book might be the most ambitious film since Avatar. And yet most people don't really know much about it. "This is the first time I ever heard anything on this," a woman named Desi told us after the presentation. VIDEO:'John Carter' at D23: Taylor Kitsch and Andrew Stanton Believe in Life on Another Planet The four clips revealed perhaps the most thought-out world since James Cameron created Pandora. The story centers on a damaged Civil War vet who is transported to Mars, where dueling races vie for supremacy. (Burroughs wrote his stories at a time when Mars was thought to be able to support breathing, and the stories are more fantasy than science fiction.) The clips showcased elements of drama, romance, action and cute humor, positioning the movie as a modern-day Star Wars, if it works. (Which would be ironic, since John Carter books were a Star Wars inspiration.) The Martian world looks believable and real, and left many (certainly me) feeling like the March 9, 2012 release date won't be here fast enough. 3. The Avengers. Do we need to even explain ourselves? (More info here) 4.Frankenweenie Only glimpses from the movie were shown since it's still early going, but this could be the coolest Tim Burton movie since the 1990s, maybe even since A Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton is revisiting a short film he did in 1984, but this time as a stop-motion animated feature. And it's in glorious black & white. The design of the characters, the off-kilter sensibility and the look of the movie will have Burton fans salivating, and it will hopefully bring new fans into the fold. The story, about a boy named Frankenstein, who brings his dog Sparky back to life after it's killed in an accident-well, let's let this young fan we met on an escalator say why he likes Frankenweenie: "Just about everyone's lost a pet." VIDEO:'Avengers' Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson Talk Fight Scenes and Injuries Disney could be sitting on a merchandising goldmine with this movie. Everyone is going to want to have their own Sparky and other cool characters. 5. The Muppets Disney has a bit of a tricky wire act to perform with this movie. It has to appeal to the generation that first fell in love with the Muppet characters in the late 1970s via the TV show and the early movies, as well as to a new generation of youngsters. So far, the much of the marketing has focused on the adults , with the hip parodies of Green Lantern, The Hangover, and romantic comedies. The two big clips shown on Saturday were effective and seemed to successfully hit both generations. The first one made fun of a movie trope, the long-lost character coming into view to angelic music (one of the reveals here is that a bus filled with choir members is driving by). It was funny. VIDEO: 'The Muppets' at D23: Jason Segel Talks About Their Comedic Influence The second clip, also humorous, featured a montage of the Muppets cleaning up their old theater set to Starship's We Built This City. This second clip could be telling. The audience was humming and toe-tapping to the music; the 30-and-40-year olds were swept up in a song from their formative years, but the younger set, weaned on the music of Glee for the past few years, was right there with them. Talking to some attendees at the Convention Center food court (because that's what we do here at Heat Vision), The Muppets actually was this group's top choice from everything they had seen in the presentations. "This felt like Jim Henson was still alive," said one man, who declined to give his age other than to say "early thirties." The presentations were a hit with the audience. Saturday's sell-out of all 17,000 tickets for the day was a testament to strength of Disney. The only hiccup, expressed by several fans, was the lack of audience interaction with the filmmakers and talent. VIDEO: 'Avengers' Tom Hiddleston Talks the Return of Loki The full presentation, more than two-and-a-half hours, moved quickly and efficiently, but some stars only had time for a quick wave and hello, leaving fanswanting more, and not in a good way. Maybe next time, something billed as the ultimate fan event should allow for a few Q&As. If you have to break up the panel into two sessions, so be it. The audience will still love you. Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Kit Avengers Chris Hemsworth Robert Downey Jr. Scarlett Johansson Taylor Kitsch Pixar John Carter of Mars

U2s The Edge Still Pursuing Malibu Development

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The guitarist for U2 and several other property owners whose proposal to build a cluster of mansions overlooking Malibu failed to get past state regulators have filed lawsuits against the California Coastal Commission. The lawsuits filed Friday argue that the basis for the commissions decision to deny their permits in June was not legal. The property owners say they are five separate owners each building a single home on separate lots, an argument that would have made it more difficult for the commission to reject their proposal. The commission, however, determined there was enough evidence to show the project was under common ownership, coordinated and led by U2 guitarist The Edge, whose real name is David Evans. The proposal called for five multilevel homes of up to 12,785 square feet to be built on 156 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains.Project designs said the homes would have the top green building certifications and the guitarist himself said the mansions would be some of the most environmentally sensitive in the world. When we buy property zoned for residential use, we expect to be able to build a home, said Fiona Hutton, spokeswoman for the property owners. But in this case, after years of working cooperatively with the Coastal Commission and planning the most environmentally sensitive homes possible, government changed the rules and is now denying these families right to use their land. Project opponents, however, including the National Park Service said the development would scar the expansive ridgeline. The musician and his partners had appeased one of its staunches opponents, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy after agreeing to give the agency more than $1 million, dedicate nearly 100 acres to open space and provide public access to hiking trails if the homes were approved. In the end, the majority of the commission deemed the project too environmentally destructive to allow and voted against permitting it. Charles Lester, acting executive director for the commission, could not directly comment on the lawsuit because they had yet to see it but said the commission had ample evidence to support its decision. The commission had a comprehensive presentation on this issue and felt there was a legal basis for their vote, he said. Copyright 2011 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jane Kaczmarek Coming back to TV as Whitney's New Mother

Jane Kaczmarek Jane Kaczmarek has became a member of the cast from the approaching NBC sitcom Whitney, Deadline reviews. The first kind Malcolm in the centre star, 55, replaces Beverly D'Angelo because the open, and sometimes married, mother of Whitney (Whitney Cummings). Within the comedy, Cummings and Chris D'Elia play a happily unmarried couple. Add Whitney for your Watchlist prior to the year starts and not miss a chapter Kaczmarek received seven Emmy nominations on her performance on Malcolm and much more lately starred about the short-resided TNT drama Raising the Bar. She guest-starred on FX's Wilfred earlier this year. Whitney premieres on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9:30/8:30c on NBC. Have you been excited to determine Kaczmarek back about the small screen?

Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar Will Bypass TIFF, NYFF

Some bad news for Clint Eastwood fans hoping to see J. Edgar on the premiere schedule at the Toronto International Film Festival or New York Film Festival: the Leonardo DiCaprio-led Oscar contender won’t debut at either prestigious gathering. As first reported by the Toronto Star — and confirmed by EW — J. Edgar will bypass both festivals and likely premiere in limited release on Nov. 9. (A full expansion follows on Nov. 11.) [Toronto Star via EW]

Melisa Wallack to script Emily The Strange

Melisa Wallack has been hired to write the script for a movie based on the character Emily The Strange.ChloeMoretz is attached to star in the gothic tale of a young girl who mixes the power of her imagination with technology.No official storyline has been released, but the plot is expected to be an origin story that tells how Emily gained her powers and shows her adventures with her four black cats.The movie has been in development with Dark Horse Entertainment since 2008, with Universal backing it in 2010.Wallack previously wrote the screenplay for Relativity Media's as-yet-unnamed Snow White movie, which will be in competition with Universal's Snow White And The Huntsman when both are released.

Inferno to create 'Autobahn'

RussoInferno Entertainment is driving onto "Autobahn," coming aboard the actioner with Mark Steven Manley ("Ghost Driver") mounted on direct.The organization confirmed Wednesday it's creating and it has indicated it intends to secure a cast prior to starting to market areas.Story, composed by Greg Russo, centers on the former race driver who finds themself about the German Autobahn having a choice -- needing to attack a target having a vehicle rigged having a explosive device or face getting his wife and daughter wiped out. Project was formerly known as "I-95."Inferno pre-offered almost all worldwide areas for Stephenie Meyer's pic "The Host," starring Saoirse Ronan, at Cannes prior to being offered to spread out Road for domestic release. It designed a flurry of foreign deals this past year at AFM in November for that Kaira Pitt-Richard Jenkins' starrer "Cogan's Trade" prior to the Weinstein Co. clicked up for that U.S. in The month of january.Russo is symbolized by ICM, management company Manage-ment and lawyer Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein & Kohner.Manley is symbolized by CAA and lawyer Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Balrog Behind the Glory

In 1991, protecting World Heavyweight Champion, Michael Bison, was disqualified in the title bout and banned in the sport forever when his opponent, Joe Sullivan, experienced fatal injuries because of under professional conduct from Bison. A household title, worldwide celebrity, and ubiquitous and brash voice in sports and popular culture, Bison's actions obliterated what had guaranteed to become an imperishable boxing empire. Facing likely criminal trial as well as an onslaught of media scrutiny, Bison disappeared in the public sphere. While federal agents have suggested in additional recent reviews the "Raging Zoysia" might have been heavily in an un named worldwide crime syndicate, Bison's true story remains shrouded in mystery and the location unknown.⊺lrog: Behind the Glory," is really a documentary that addresses, for that fist time, over two decades of smoldering fascination with who the champion actually was and where he's been since that fateful evening in boxing.