'Mad Men' Now Playing a Union Tune

Seems such as the artists aren't as mad at Lionsgate any longer: the American Federation of Artists has showed up in a contract with Lionsgate, producers of AMC's "Mad Males.""We are thrilled to have began rapport with Lionsgate that will bring justness to artists within the television output of 'Mad Males,'" AFM leader Ray Hair told "The Hollywood Reporter."The sale will dsicover the background music artists receiving union wages, residuals and pension and health improvements. "And," mentioned union official Marc Sazer, "(they'll) receive another factor that was overdue respect, plus an acknowledgement in the dignity approved to professional artists.InchSazer's the best choice in the Recording Artists Association, an AFM subgroup focusing around the interests of artists who be employed in movies, TV, appear tracks and ads. He mentioned the agreement resulted from "calm private discussions, educational picketing (and) gathering the support of numerous AFM Residents together with other entertainment industry unions and guilds."The sale is relevant only to "Mad Males," not company-wide to be able to such other Lionsgate characteristics since the March 23 opener "The Hunger Games," which set accurate documentation this year's week for first-day advance ticket sales which is the initial installment in the planned franchise. However, mentioned Hair, "we are pursuing broadening our coverage inside the company's other TV and film projects."A Lionsgate representative declined to comment.The AFM agreement isn't Lionsgate's only recent activity round the deal front: lately, the business showed up in a contract to purchase Summit Entertainment, the studio behind the hit "Twilight" franchise. The Hollywood Reporter

What to do on Friday

Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy get in the party mood. Brandon T. Jackson MUSIC FOR FILM BRUNCHWhere: Eveleigh RestaurantWho's expected: Quincy Jones, "The Artist" composer and Oscar nominee Ludovic Bource and other key members of the Composer's GuildWhy you don't want to miss it: This is the inaugural brunch that celebrates film's musical virtuosos, given in conjunction with WME, which has a large roster of composers in its stable.ICG PUBLICISTS AWARDS LUNCHEONWhere: Beverly Hilton HotelWho's expected: The top publicity mavens, including honoree Arlene LudwigWhy you don't want to miss it: Plenty of movie-star wattage will be on hand, from Julie Andrews and Jodie Foster to Gary Oldman, Missi Pyle and Max von Sydow, all stars who know that it is the publicists who helped make them into household names.MMPA STUDENT FILMMAKERS SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEONWhere: Sofitel HotelWho's expected: Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and other mentor-minded typesWhy you don't want to miss it: This annual awarding of scholarships to up-and-coming filmmakers always draws top Tinseltown players, who combine eating lunch with encouraging the winners of the Multicultural Motion Picture Assn.'s to reach for the stars.5TH ANNUAL WOMEN IN FILM PRE-OSCAR COCKTAIL PARTYWhere: Cecconi's RestaurantWho's expected: WIF prexy Cathy Schulman, host Gwyneth Paltrow, Oscar nominees including Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Sandy Powell, Thelma Schoonmaker, Anne Seibel, Deb AdairWhy you don't want to miss it: It's a room full of the most successful women in the biz, and they all have champagne in their hands and are smiling. GREAT BRITISH FILM RECEPTIONWhere: British Consul General's Residence in Hancock ParkWho's expected: British Media and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Consul Gen. Barbara Hay Why you don't want to miss it: Any Brit with an Oscar nom, and a few without, will be at this cocktail pour.WARNER BROS. PRE-OSCAR PARTYWhere: Soho HouseWho's expected: WB's nomineesWhy you don't want to miss it: The view of the city and the starsEYE ON BLACK 2012Where: Park Plaza HotelWho's expected: Martin Lawrence, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tim Allen, Debbie Allen, Haile Gerima, Chris Robinson, Luke Wilson, host Brandon T. JacksonWhy you don't want to miss it: "The Eye on Black salute recognizes influential African-Americans who have helped to shape black experience in the movies," says Duran Brown of the Kartel Co., who created the awards in 2010 along with its client Anheuser-Busch. Plus, there's a four-course meal and music by Leela James and Goapele.VANITY FAIR AND RICHARD MILLE TOASTS MARTIN SCORSESE AND THE FILM FOUNDATIONWhere: Hotel Bel-AirWho's expected: Honoree Martin Scorsese and his friendsWhy you don't want to miss it: The fete supports the Film Foundation, dedicated to preserving movies that are disintegrating as you sip your cocktail. Plus those swans and the gorgeously renovated hotel.CAA'S BRYAN LOURD PARTYWhere: Lourd's Bel-Air manseWho's expected: Hollywood's A-list actors represented by CAA, as well as studio heads and other power playersWhy you don't want to miss it: Lourd's top rainmaker George Clooney is sure to stop in with girlfriend Stacy Keibler.UTA'S JIM BERKUS PARTYWhere: Berkus' BevHills abodeWho's expected: UTA's Oscar nominees, including Kristen Wiig, as well as top execs, managers and other notablesWhy you don't want to miss it: Wiig just might bring along some rowdy "Bridesmaids" gals to liven up the party. Plus, guitarist Nick Valensi from the Strokes is playing DJ for the night.WME'S ARI EMANUEL PARTYWhere: Emanuel's Brentwood estateWho's expected: Newly signed client Jean Dujardin, along with WME's other nominees, including Octavia Spencer, Rooney Mara, Martin Scorsese, Jonah Hill, Aaron Sorkin and Steve ZaillianWhy you don't want to miss it: So many high-powered Hollywood types that you may just want to stay put all night and just watch the scene go by at this one.2ND ANNUAL SHORTS AWARDSWhere: Soho HouseWho's expected: All the Oscar nominees for short pics, including live action, animated and docsWhy you don't want to miss it: Where else can you see people like John Lasseter be honored alongside Melissa Leo (as happened last year). Plus, the show doesn't start until 9 p.m.Return to the Oscar's Big Weekend >> Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Revenge Fire & Ice Ball Postmortem: Who Died? Who Were living? Cast and Producers Tease What's Next

You should not need to hang about until March for your anticipated NBC drama Awake when you're able to watch the initial full episode the next now! Awake: A double existence, but is either real? Jason Issaacs stars as Michael Britten, a police detective who finds themselves leading two synchronised lives carrying out a vehicle accident. In one, his wife (Laura Allen) has died. He snoozes and energizes inside the other, through which he's lost his teenage boy (Dylan Minnette). Michael copes along with his twin deficits using dueling reduces (Cherry Manley and B.D. Wong) and a pair of different partners: Detective Isaiah "Bird" Freeman (Steve Harris) and Detective Efrem Vega (Wilmer Valdarama). Discover More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Jason IsaacsWilmer ValderramaLaura AllenDylan MinnetteAwake

Graphic traffic

Nancy Cartwright marks a Bart Simpson milestone. Fox's Kevin Reilly and Gary Newman, together with the Simpsons, flank Matt Groening at Roosevelt Hotel fete. Yeardley Cruz and James L. Brooks Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie bobbed lower the yellow carpet Monday evening outdoors the Roosevelt Hotel as Fox celebrated the 500th episode of "The Simpsons," a lengthy-running animated comedy on television.Wearing a simple blazer and yellow shirt, clearly, series creator Matt Groening devoted the momentous episode for the artists at Film Roman who give form for the people of Springfield week in week out.Persona non grata Julian Assange comprises a cameo inside the episode that sees the Simpsons banned from Springfield simply to uncover a far greater existence beyond its walls, climax not extended before their old neighbors descend round the exiled family to shakeup their idyllic new existence.Street artist Shepard Fairey showed up in this area to celebrate the extended-running animated series, which increased to become type of ritual before he developed his trademark graphic style."For quite some time I labored seven days each week as well as the only time I'd have a relaxation was on Sunday to check out 'The Simpsons,' " Fairey mentioned.Close to the roulette and craps tables, Strange Al Yankovic consumed water and spoken up "MythBusters'" Adam Savage while Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus carried out blackjack along with his wife.Other site visitors needed pictures before a nearly untouched pile of Homer's favorite pink inflatible inflatible donuts and consumed drinks like passion fruit 'Marge'aritas. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Shingle partners with Koreans on pic

WinterBotwickRalph Winter and Terry Botwick's 1019 Entertainment is joining track of Korean production company MAM Media round the feature "Oh! Hungnam -- Exodus for Freedom," a dramatization in the Hungnam evacuations through the Korean War.Film's slated to start production this winter in Seoul, Columbia.The Ten-day Hungnam evacuation happened when the oncoming Chinese Communist Military forced the retreat more than 100,000 soldiers like the South Korean first Corps, the U.S. tenth Military, 17,000 military automobiles, 350,000 lots of munitions well as over 100,000 refugees."Exodus for Freedom," the functional title for your movie, aims to cover human elements and war's harsh details. The film features a biographic episode of Sen. Paull Shin, a Korean-American part of the Washington condition Senate, who was simply orphaned through the Korean War.Winter's creating credits include "X-Males" and "Fantastic Four: Rise in the Silver Surfer." Right before developing 1019, Botwick was leader of Vanguard Films & Animation, leader of huge Idea Prods. and held professional posts at CBS, Hearst Corp. as well as the Family Funnel.Shingle has greater than 15 projects in development, including Dean Koontz's "Frankenstein" franchise. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Alfred Hitchcocks Suspicion to obtain the remake treatment

While a brand new adaptation of Rebecca is presently within the works at Working Title, Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion can also be looking for the reboot treatment thanks to The Killing executive producer Veena Sud.Launched in 1941, Hitchcock's Suspicion took it's origin from the novel Prior To The Fact by Francis Illes, and adopted a wealthy woman's marriage to some guy who works out to become a crook, liar and killer.Hitchcock's film starred Joan Fontaine and Cary Grant, and also the former received an Oscar on her performance.Suspicion marks the feature debut of Veena Sud, who's formerly made her title focusing on TV crime dramas like Cold Situation and also the Killing.It's unclear yet whether Sud will go back to Illes novel on her movie, or maybe she'll base it on Hitchcock's famous classic.In either case, the premise is definitely an intriguing one, and when Sud can imbue it with half the brilliance from the Killing, she'll have something very good on her behalf hands.

Dave Franco Making SXSW Debut With 'Would You'

We've been enjoying getting to know the multi-faceted-ness of actor/writer Dave Franco over the last few years via roles on TV ("Scrubs," "Privileged"), in films like "Fright Night," appearances in music videos and more. In addition to his scene-stealing performance in the upcoming "21 Jump Street" reboot, it was just announced that Franco's short film "Would You," which he wrote, will be premiering at the SXSW Film Festival next month as part of the Narrative Short Competition. MTV News was lucky enough to get Franco on the phone recently to chat about the inspiration behind his big debut, the raunch factor and how having his mom be a part of the cast made for a very, very uncomfortable scene. "I happen to have been in a phase in my life where I was playing 'Would You Rather,' everyone goes through those phases so I incorporated that into the short," Franco, who wrote the film, said of where the idea came from. "The short is about these two childhood friends, a girl and an guy who play a game of 'Would You Rather' and their choices magically come true. There is a bit of a fantasy element to it and very quickly in typical Dave Franco fashion, things get strangely sexual and uncomfortable but there is still an overall feeling of sweetness that comes through I hope, which kind of cuts the raunchiness a little bit." The "Dave Franco Fashion" to which he referred to can be seen in his series of FunnyOrDie videos like "Go F---Yourself" and "You're So Hot" which are worth a viewing if you haven't yet seen them. Franco said that "Would You" follows in that same vein, but with the addition of his mom, respected actress Betsy Franco, to the cast he took things to a whole new level for them both. "Once people see the short theyre going to be slightly disturbed at what I put my mom through for it, but I promise you she agreed to do this under her own will," Franco assured us, without going into any specific detail about said scene. "Keep that in mind because it gets very very weird. We couldnt look each other in the eyes for a few hours after the scene. But I think everyone had a good time." Are you curious about what's involved in Franco's film? Tell us in the comments or on Twitter!

Pilot Season: Kyle Bornheimer Lands Role in ABC's White-colored Guy Van

Kyle Bornheimer Worst Week's Kyle Bornheimer has showed up employment on ABC's comedy White-colored Guy Van.Pilot Season: ABC orders Mandy Moore comedy Put together by Bobby Bowman, the show focuses on a man (Bornheimer) who's expected to put his dreams on hold to think about around the family renovator business from his father. Bowman's credits include being a professional producer of I am Earl and author for Raising Hope company, Dear.The pilot is founded on the British comedy of the title.Aside from his role on Worst Week, Bornheimer has came out in NBC's Perfect Couples and ABC's Romantically Challenged.