TITANIC WAS A PRECIOUS MOVIE OF HOLLYWOOD

The acclaimed Hollywood epic "Titanic," will hit movie theaters worldwide in a 3D version next year, Hollywood studios and its director James Cameron said on Thursday.

The commercial and critical success, originally released in 1997, will be re-released on April 6, 2012, in time to mark the 100th anniversary of the doomed passenger liner setting sail from England on April 10, 1912, said Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment.

"There's a whole generation that's never seen 'Titanic' as it was meant to be seen, on the big screen. And this will be 'Titanic' as you've never seen it before, digitally remastered at 4K (resolution) and painstakingly converted to 3D," Cameron said in a statement issued by the studios and distributors.

The director added: "With the emotional power intact and the images more powerful than ever, this will be an epic experience for fans and newcomers alike."

"Titanic," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet won 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director for Cameron.

It grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide and for years held the record as the most successful movie ever, before being overtaken by Cameron's 2009 3D blockbuster "Avatar" that has a lifetime gross of more than $2.7 billion.

“Carrie” reboot recruits “Spider-Man” scribe

Get your dress ready for prom and fill up those buckets with pig blood, because Hollywood’s moving forward with a remake of “Carrie.”

Brian DePalma’s 1976 thriller about a bullied girl (Sissy Spacek) cursed with telekinetic powers was, in itself, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. Now MGM and Screen Gems say they are moving ahead with a new take on the “Carrie” tale, and they have hired “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to write a script, THR says.

That’s a great hire. Aguirre-Sacasa was the one hired to fix the troubled book for the “Spider-Man” Broadway show. A playwright, he also writes comics for Marvel, and no doubt respects the idea of canon, which is vital to adapting a novelist like King.

No word on when the studios want their “Carrie” in theaters. Stay tuned for more information.
By Sean O’Connell

NBC Pickup Spree adds 'Smash,' 'Prime Suspect,' More

The multicamera comedy, from Universal Media Studios, is based on the stand-up comedy of Whitney Cummings and revolves around the ups and downs of a young couple in a committed relationship. Cummings penned the pilot and will executive produce with Betsy Thomas (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel), Scott Stuber (Your Highness), Quan Phung and Barry Katz (Good Luck Chuck). Andy Ackerman (Perfect Couples) directed the pilot. The series garned strong buzz in recent weeks, with network interest in femme-skewing comedies.

Up All Night (formerly known as the untitled Emily Spivey, Alpha Mom). Another single-cam comedy that takes an irreverent look at parenthood through the point of view of an acerbic working mother (Christina Applegate) who never thought she'd be a mom, along with her stay-at-home husband (Will Arnett) and opinionated parents. Maya Rudolph co-stars in the UMS project. Spivey wrote the pilot and will executive produce along with Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock). Sources tell THR this too is a go, with the combo of talent involved a major selling point.

Smash. The musical drama, based on an idea by Steven Spielberg, revolves around a cross-section of characters (Debra Messing, Katharine McPhee) who work to put on a Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. Theresa Rebeck penned the pilot with Spielberg, Justin Flavey, Darryl Frank, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron on board as executive producers. Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman will contribute original songs. Smash, which many have dubbed Glee for adults, hails from Universal Media Studios and DreamWorks TV. The project was said to be a sure thing all along. Working in its favor: Spielberg's engagement, a high-profile cast and the early involvement of NBC boss Bob Greenblatt, who developed the show while still at Showtime.

Prime Suspect, an adaptation from the British miniseries starring Helen Mirren, stars Maria Bello as a female detective who has to make her bones in a tough New York precinct dominated by men. The reboot counts Alex Cunningham, Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights), Sarah Aubrey and Julie Meldel Johnson as executive producers. Berg directed the pilot. Greenblatt was a big fan of both the reboot concept and Bello, sources tell THR.

NBC is scheduled to unveil its complete slate to Madison Avenue buyers on Monday in New York.