Paula Abdul Certifies X Factor Exit

Paula Abdul As well as the housekeeping continues: Paula Abdul is departing The X Factor.Shake-up within the X Factor: Steve Manley and Nicole Scherzinger out"Yes, the simple truth is I won't be returning for the X Factor next season," Abdul mentioned in the statement Tuesday."I've learned through my sturdiness in this particular industry that business options frequently occasions override personal factors. Simon [Cowell] which i, along with Fox and Fremantle, are actually interacting relevant for this for a while now, which i've absolute understanding from the problem.Simon is, and may remain a dear friend and that i have treasured my experience working the 2009 season with my relatives at Fox and Fremantle. I'd like simply for your X Key to exceed Almost all their craziest dreams.This truly is really a blessing and i am most grateful."Abdul's exit happens the heels of host Steve Jones' and choose Nicole Scherzinger's departures, which have been introduced Monday, using what is turning that need considering an enormous overhaul for your Fox series. Only Cowell and L.A. Reid remain."If only to express a massive because of Paula, Nicole and Steve for joining The X Factor a year ago,Inch Cowell mentioned in the statement. "We'd a good time making the show together and importantly, we found some real talent and stars. You must do develop associations while using people at your job and Paula, particularly, is definitely an very close friend which i be ready to work along with her on another project soon. I am certain the three may have massive success within the things they are doing next, but it is now time by means of saying thanks to these for everything they did a year ago.InchAdditional Mike Darnell, Fox's leader of alternative entertainment: "We love to Paula. Sheis a amazing talent which we appreciate her contributions. We're lucky they is a component of the Fox family, which we anticipate coping with her again soon."Steve Manley weighs in at in at in round the pros and cons of hosting The X FactorCowell introduced Abdul aboard for the X Factor after acknowledging he missed coping with her around the The American Idol Show Show, but Abdul did not sign her contract prior to the day auditions started in La. Abdul appeared to become the initial judge to find out her final functions removed within the competition.It's not been determined who'll fill the vacant slots for Season 2, which will premiere inside the fall. What can you consider Paula's exit? Who do you want to see around the program?

Tyler Perry's Compact disc Casting Web Series

Tyler Perry's Compact disc Casting Web Series By Daniel Lehman The month of january 25, 2012 Tyler Perry Tyler Perry's casting director, Kim Williams, is casting a significant role in "The Hill," a brand new dramatic web series she's co-creating with director Carlos Ramos, Junior.Williams and Ramos are casting an African-American male in the 20s to experience charge role of Cheekbones, a cop around the gritty roads of his native Milwaukee. The smoothness is referred to like a "focused, industrious, and steady" guy who "is going to do whatever needs doing to realize his dreams." The series starts filming in Feb in Los Angeles. To learn more concerning the project and also to submit, view the full casting notice on BackStage.com. (Subscription needed.)Williams continues to be the casting director for Tyler Perry Productions' many film and television projects including "Satisfy the Browns," "Daddy's Young Girls," "Diary of the Mad Black Lady," and "Madea's Family Reunion." She's also cast the animated series "The Boondocks," Damon Wayans's "My Spouse and youngsters,Inch along with other shows making-for-TV movies. Williams formerly offered as Director of Casting for Cinemax and Fox Broadcasting Company, where she oversaw casting of the number of films and tv series. Tyler Perry's Compact disc Casting Web Series By Daniel Lehman The month of january 25, 2012 Tyler Perry Tyler Perry's casting director, Kim Williams, is casting a significant role in "The Hill," a brand new dramatic web series she's co-creating with director Carlos Ramos, Junior.Williams and Ramos are casting an African-American male in the 20s to experience charge role of Cheekbones, a cop around the gritty roads of his native Milwaukee. The smoothness is referred to like a "focused, industrious, and steady" guy who "is going to do whatever needs doing to understand his dreams." The series starts filming in Feb in La. To learn more concerning the project and also to submit, see the full casting notice on BackStage.com. (Subscription needed.)Williams continues to be the casting director for Tyler Perry Productions' many film and television projects including "Satisfy the Browns," "Daddy's Young Girls," "Diary of the Mad Black Lady," and "Madea's Family Reunion." She's also cast the animated series "The Boondocks," Damon Wayans's "My Spouse and youngsters,Inch along with other shows making-for-TV movies. Williams formerly offered as Director of Casting for Cinemax and Fox Broadcasting Company, where she oversaw casting of a number of films and tv series.

Osnes has 'Pipe Dream'

OsnesLaura Osnes will topline the Encores! staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein tuner "Fantasy" this spring.Osnes ("Anything Goes") recently starred as Bonnie in Rialto tuner "Bonnie and Clyde" before that short-were living production shuttered lately. She's recently been attracted onto topline Gotham bloodstream pressure dimensions in the approaching Broadway revival of "Cinderella."The expansion at Encores!, the NY City Center series that presents semi-staged concert bloodstream pressure dimensions of frequently overlooked musicals, will repetition one of the handful of occasions "Fantasy" remains completed in the last 2 decades it had formerly been saved from circulation with a fundamental rights problem."Fantasy" is founded on the John Steinbeck novel "Sweet Thursday," which follows the romance from the marine biologist together with a girl (Osnes) who hitchhikes in to the city.Other Encores! options this seaons are "Merrily We Roll Along" in February and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" in May. Helmed by Marc Bruni, "Fantasy" runs March 28-April 1. The Encores! program has created Primary Stem transfers including "Chicago" and "Finian's Rainbow." Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

UltraViolet preps for mass appeal

The UltraViolet platform has attracted 750,000 households to create accounts since the digital rights locker opened its doors in October.That's far from the tens of millions Hollywood is waiting for to call UltraViolet a mass-market product -- and add more movies than the initial 19 titles currently available.But the Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE), the large consortium of more than 75 content owners, retailers and tech firms, will launch a major multimillion dollar marketing campaign to lure more users this year, with the ad effort set to bow in the fourth quarter.Mark Teitell, the DECE's general manager and executive director, said from a Tuesday press event at CES, that new marketing materials would look to create a consistent message to drive mass adoption among consumers under the slogan, "Your movies in the cloud."Key to growing UltraViolet is getting more consumers used to what UltraViolet does, studio chiefs said. And adding more content, of course.This year, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros. will make most of their theatrical releases, as well as studio catalogs and TV titles available with UltraViolet rights, with hundreds of millions of UltraViolet-enabled DVD's and Blu-rays to hit U.S. shelves in 2012. Paramount also recently announced that the Jan. 24 release of "Paranormal Activity 3" will be UltraViolet-enabled, its first such title.Fox views UltraViolet as "a component to the digital ecosystem we're trying to construct and not the digital ecosystem, itself," according to Mike Dunn, president of Fox Home Entertainment. "Our job is to build this digital ecosystem to deliver an exciting and simple customer experience that we hope will lead to mass consumer adoption. It's not going to lead to mass consumer adoption if our infrastructure is not successful."Dunn added that the purpose of UV is to restore the consumer purchase model to the level at the height of DVDs' popularity.But studios say that will take some time, with UV not expected to come out of its current beta mode until the fourth quarter. Many of DECE's members have stressed that they didn't want to wait to launch UV until it was completely perfect; they wanted to fix the system's bugs as consumers learn how UV will benefit them and enable them to seamlessly transfer their films to 12 different devices, similar to how they can currently move songs or e-books around.The magic number to reach that mass market is 25 million, many say."When you're talking 25 million members or people involved with UV, that starts to become mainstream," Dunn said. "Blu-ray has tipped into the mass market now and it did that when it crossed the 25 million household mark."I think we're on the verge of another monumental event, because very rarely do you have the living room escalating into high-def TVs, thin TVs, and portable devices proliferating at a rate that's never been seen before," Dunn added. "It really allows the consumer very simple operation to move rights around. Rights extension is what made DVD what it was, and this is rights extension on steroids."Also expected to help grow UltraViolet's usage is a new deal between Amazon and a major studio to support UltraViolet rights.The e-tailing giant, however, is keeping quiet on just which studio that is."We have to keep that a secret," said Bill Carr, executive VP, digital media for Amazon.Samsung also unveiled a new smart Blu-ray player with a "disc-to-digital" feature that adds titles from consumers' existing DVD and Blu-ray collections to their UltraViolet locker. When a disk is inserted in the player, the consumer gets the option to add it to UltraViolet, and if it's a DVD, they can upgrade to HD for "a nominal fee." The app was developed by Flixster and Rovi.Netflix won't be part of UltraViolet's growth, however.The company was not on stage during the DECE's press conference -- mainly because it's no longer a DECE member.UltraViolet is aimed at ownership, not rental, DECE members said, and Netflix is not interested in getting into sell-through to buyers anytime soon.Only a few minutes was spent on Disney's decision to hold out from being an official DECE member."I don't think there's any company we haven't talked to about UltraViolet," said Mitch Singer, chief technology officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment. "It would be terrific to have them join. I'm not holding my breath but we're certainly talking." Contact David S. Cohen at david.cohen@variety.com

Fox Sports launches originals unit

Fox Sports Media Group has tapped Michael Bloom to head an original programming division. Fox Sports chairman David Hill has long wanted to see Fox Sports' cable nets program more nonfiction fare that can bookend live events such as auto racing and college football and basketball. On the broadcast side, Fox has traditionally used time-buys as a lead-out for its an early Sunday NFL game when there is no doubleheader. The new division will aim to create original sports-related programming that could air at that time; the goal is to retain a portion of that massive NFL viewership. In addition, Fox is interested in adding more online sports programming to its digital partners, and that effort would also fall under Bloom's purview. Hill would like to make both racing-centric net Speed, which is currently in 82 million homes, and Fox Soccer a higher priority within the Fox Sports universe. Adding new programming that would supplement live events is seen as a way to generate interest in those cablers. Bloom, who will be senior VP of the division, comes to Fox after most recently serving as an exec development consultant at AMC, where he helped establish the net's nonfiction department. AMC is making a major reality push in 2012 with Kevin Smith's "Comic Book Men" and "The Pitch," where ad agencies compete to win accounts. "We have our own Fox brand, have our version of these new shows and will hopefully break some new ground," Bloom told Variety. "There are lots of interesting characters and great stories to tell." The first of the new programs could be on the air by late 2012 or early 2013. Bloom added that all options are at play as far as what type of programming -- competition, newsmagazine, gameshow -- may go forward. "Sports is just a starting point," he said. "It doesn't have to be game, match, contest or race. It can be character driven. Everything is on the table." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com

20 Suggested Names for Benedict Cumberbatch's 'Star Trek 2' Villain

Benedict Cumberbatch is a pretty cool name. Actually, I wish it were my name. In fact, it seems impossible not to succeed in life with the name Benedict Cumberbatch. To wit: Benedict Cumberbatch -- star of 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,' 'War Horse' and the BBC series 'Sherlock' -- has now been cast in J.J. Abrams' sequel to 'Star Trek,' a movie that could be called anything except 'Star Trek 2.' What will Cumberbatch's likely villainous character be named in the 2013 sequel? How do you give an actor called Benedict Cumberbatch a name that is better than the one he already has? Let's give it a try! (If you have a better suggestion, which I'm sure that you do, let us know in the comments -- or Tweet them, using Moviefone's dedicated hashtag, #cumberguess.) 1. Harcourt Fenton Mudd 2. Khan Noonien Singh 2. Khan Nigel Singh 3. Alexander Tuxedobund 4. Cholmondley Highfalutington 5. Maximillian Ampersand 6. Posh Spice 7. Huntington Klingoctopus 8. Engelbert Humperdinck 9. Farnsworth Chimneysweep 10. Severus Snape 11. Scoundrel Von Rapscallion 12. Appolonia 13. Lynn Belvedere 14. Professor Needlethread 15. Oswald Cobblepot 16. Rider Strong 17. Gorn McPerfecthair 18. Benedict Cumberbatch 19. Bobby Flay 20. Boba Fett [Photo: Getty] You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook