‘iCarly’ duo take lead in ‘Best Player’
Trainor, McCurdy to star in original Nick telepic

Posted: Tue., Oct. 20, 2009, 6:36pm PT

By JON WEISMAN

Parlaying the built-in following of its Saturday night youth skein “iCarly,” Nick has cast series co-stars Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy in an original telepic for the cabler, “Best Player.”
Trainor and McCurdy will play two online game addicts who encounter each other on and off the computer. Production begins Saturday in Vancouver for a 2010 premiere.

Damon Santostefano is directing a script originated by Rich Amburg and rewritten by Justin Ware. Sandy Climan and Christine Foy are exec producing with Jessica Horowitz, Lauren Levine and Nick exec veep of original programming and development Marjorie Cohn.

For 2009, “iCarly” is the top-ranked show on television in the 9-14, 2-11 and 6-11 demos on Saturday nights.

‘iCarly’ pals get own movie

By Maxine Shen
October 19, 2009, 1:45 PM ET

Two familiar “iCarly” faces are ditching the weekly show for a movie shot - but don’t worry, it’s only temporary.

Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy — who play Miranda Cosgrove’s older brother and best friend in the hit ‘tween series “iCarly” — are set to star in the new Nickelodeon TV movie “Best Player,” which begins filming later this week. In the TV movie, scheduled to air next year, they’ll play a pair of master online gamers who enter a ferocious video tournament. Trainor plays Quincy, a 30-something champion gamer who’s reluctant to grow up and still lives in his parents’ basement. Meanwhile, McCurdy will be a teen nicknamed “Prodigy,” who’ll give him a run for his championship money.

The duo were natural picks for starring roles in “Best Player,” says Marjorie Cohn, Nick’s executive vice president of original programming and development. “Part of our movie strategy is to take not just the stars, but the burgeoning stars from our live-action hits and feature them in their own vehicles,” says Cohn. Trainor and McCurdy were “on the top of our list,” she says. As for the impact that the iCarly stars’ burgeoning movie careers will have on the series, fans can rest easy. As Cohn says, “I’m not foreseeing an end to ‘iCarly.’”

TV movies have become big business for channels like Nick and the Disney channel. They can be produced for relatively little money and are drawing unusually large audiences. A “Wizards of Waverly Place” movie on Disney — starring Selena Gomez — drew 10 million viewers last summer, the biggest non-sports show of the year.

Hilary Duff in ‘Business’ for new telepic
To star in comedy based on ‘Diary of a Working Girl’

By Nellie Andreeva
Aug 9, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

ABC Family is teaming with Hilary Duff for “The Business of Falling in Love,” a romantic comedy based on the book “Diary of a Working Girl,” by Daniella Brodsky.

Gil Junger has signed to direct the two-hour original movie, which will star Duff as a fashion reporter who goes undercover in the business world in the hopes of finding love while writing an article about dating men in suits.

In addition to starring, Duff will executive produce the film alongside Frank Von Zerneck, Robert Sertner, Ira Pincus and Jessica Horowitz.

The book was adapted for the small screen by writer Mike Horowitz (”Burn Notice”).

Junger is a familiar face at ABC Family. The director of the 1999 movie “10 Things I Hate About You” also is helming the ABC Family series of the same name that launched this summer.

Additionally, he directed one of ABC Family’s highest-rated original movies this year, the romantic comedy “My Fake Fiance.”

Former “Lizzie McGuire” star Duff, repped by CAA, is on board to play the female lead in the indie “The Story of Bonnie and Clyde.”

Features include 2 FREE Spectacular! tracks for RockBand, plus an exclusive Spectacular! ringtone! Spectacular! Video Diary with Victoria Justice, The 5 Things You Need to Be A Show Choir Superstar, Karaoke Music Videos, Behind-the-Scenes and Dance Tutorial!

Features include an Alternate Ending, the Director, Writer and Cast commentary and Behind-the-Scenes.

Mon., Jan. 12, 2009, 6:13pm PT

Autopsy
By DENNIS HARVEY

An After Dark Films release of a Seven Arts Pictures presentation of a Parallel Media, A-Mark Entertainment, Voodoo production. Produced by Jessica Horowitz, Steve Markoff, Bruce McNall, Warren Zide. Executive producers, Olga Mirimskaya, Raymond J. Markovich, Mike Marvin, Darrel Casalino, Michael Arata, Jerry Daigle, Harmon Kaslow, John Martin. Directed by Adam Gierasch. Screenplay, Jace Anderson, Gierasch, E.L. Katz.

With: Robert Patrick, Jessica Lowndes, Jenette Goldstein, Michael Bowen, Robert LaSardo, Ross Kohn, Ashley Schneider, Arcadiy Golubovich, Ross McCall, Janine Venable, Eric F. Adams.

Willfully crass shocker “Autopsy” checks the requisite hapless hotties into a rural Louisiana hospital where nobody ever checks out. Directorial debut by Adam Gierasch (co-scenarist with Jace Anderson of Dario Argento’s “Mother of Tears” and Tobe Hooper’s “Mortuary” and “Toolbox Murders”) takes a somewhat campy approach to lurid genre tropes via ridiculously over-the-top villains and gore. Still, it’s less sendup than homage to retro horror trash. Certain fanboys will be all over this After Dark Fest item once it hits DVD shelves in March.

Post-Mardi Gras partying, five twentysomethings suffer a car crash occasioned by an apparently escaped mental patient. The ambulance arrives without being called; alas, suspiciously underpopulated Mercy Hospital is more in the biz of ensnaring than caring. While her friends suffer serious breaches of medical ethics, Emily (Jessica Lowndes) proves most resilient at combating malevolent Dr. Benway (Robert Patrick) and his equally homicidal staff. A la Argento at his ’70s peak (he’s thanked in the end credits), corridors are lit in atmospherically incongruous rainbow colors. “Autopsy” is as gratuitously stylish as its no-brainer content is gleefully crude. Dull it ain’t, despite brief mayhem lulls.

Camera (color, HD-to-35mm), Anthony B. Richmond; editor, Andrew Cohen; music, Joseph Bishara; production designer, Dorian Vernacchio. Reviewed at Century 20, Daly City, Calif., Jan. 10, 2009. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 84 MIN.