New A Virtual Detective 2 Stills

Meet Harris' Moriarty & Rapace's SimWhat's much better than a A Virtual Detective: A Game Title Of Shadows cover? Why, a A Virtual Detective cover plus some new stills from Guy Ritchie's detective follow up, featuring not just Robert Downey Jr's sleuth and Jude Law's medical partner, but additionally arch-enemy Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) and gypsy mystery lady Sim (Noomi Rapace). And that is just what we are getting you today, having a couple of sneak peeks behind the curtain from the Arthur Conan Doyle riffing blockbuster. Within the magazine, Damon Smart reviews in the film's set, and interviews all of the principal cast and director Ritchie, having a couple of words about the plot this time around around along with a discussion of what's transformed. For just one, they are all feeling well informed. For an additional, they do not have to deal with endless speculation concerning the casting of Moriarty since he's recently been cast. For a lot more on A Virtual Detective: A Game Title Of Shadows, get the brand new problem - or watch a clip below. The film's on December 16 this season.

Venice International Film Festival at a Crossroads

NBC has ordered a script for a western from Friday Night Lights' Pete Berg and Liz Heldens.our editor recommends'Friday Night Lights' Finale: Fans Will Finally Get Their Closure (TV Review)HBO Picks Up Boxing Docuseries from Peter Berg While details are being kept under wraps, it is billed as a western story told from a female point of view. The project, which hails from Universal Media Studios and Berg's Film 44, counts Berg (Wonderland) andSarah Aubrey (Friday Night Lights, Trauma) as executive producers. Heldens (Love Bites, Mercy) is attached to write and EP. The project joins a cadre of small screen western efforts, including AMC's upcoming series Hell On Wheels, set during the building of the Union Pacific Railroad in the 1860s, and A&E pilot Longmire, about a widowed sheriff in Absaroka County, Wyoming. More recently, TNT ordered Gateway, while ABC and CBS nabbedDavid Zabel's Gunslinger and James Mangold's Ralph Lamb, respectively. Heldens is repped by ICM; Berg and Aubrey are repped by WME. Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose Related Topics NBC Friday Night Lights TV Development

REVIEW: Paul Rudd Saves Our Idiot Brother from Total Idiocy

Jesse Peretz’s Our Idiot Brother is a feel-good movie for people who resist feel-good movies, a flawed vessel that nonetheless stays afloat by clinging to its buoyant star, Paul Rudd. Its problems are numerous and apparent: The picture meanders listlessly, and in the end it’s really more of a character sketch than a comedy — the movie’s writers, David Schisgall and Evgenia Peretz (the director’s sister), haven’t really bothered much with a plot. Yet I came out of Our Idiot Brother feeling better than I did when I went in. It’s the kind of movie whose value lies between the lines, not directly on them, and if the pleasures it offers are slender ones, at least there’s something good-hearted about them. Paul Rudd plays Ned, the brother —though he’s not really an idiot — of the title. He’s one of those low-key, freewheeling guys who never seems to have an actual job: As the movie opens, he’s running an organic farm stand, and when a cop earnestly asks him if he’s got any pot to sell, Ned resists at first and then takes the cop at his word — upon which the bastard clamps a pair of handcuffs on him and hauls his affable dog, Willie Nelson, away in a separate car. Ned is perhaps too trusting to survive in the world, yet his guilelessness is simply part of his DNA: He expects the best of people, having found that to be the best way to get them to deliver it. But his insistence on being open to the universe exasperates his three sisters, particularly the oldest, Liz (Emily Mortimer), a quivery house-mouse type — Ned moves in with her to get himself together after his short jail stint. Liz has a son with a shithead documentary filmmaker (played, all too convincingly, by Steve Coogan). The kid, who suffers with the depressing name River (he’s played, with a blessed minimum of adorableness, by Matthew Mindler), wants to learn martial arts but instead gets dragged off to ballet class. Ned roughhouses with River and shows him Pink Panther movies, despite the fact that his parents frown on too much “screen media.” It’s easy to see that Ned’s influence is the one thing that might save the kid from being totally miserable. Slightly more tolerant are Ned’s other sisters, the half-ditzy, half-together Miranda (Elizabeth Banks), an entertainment journalist, and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), an aspiring stand-up comic whose feet are feeling a little cold as she prepares to move in with her lawyer girlfriend (played by the effortlessly appealing Rashida Jones). Mother Shirley Knight looks on, dizzily, a glass of wine perched perpetually in her hand. Our Idiot Brother has no story line to speak of: It’s really just a rambling portrait of a mismatched family that’s functional only by the seat of its pants, largely thanks to the way Ned keeps everyone grounded by messing about in their business. Of course, the ending comes tied to a big, clunky epiphany: This idiot brother is actually a really nice guy! You can see that one coming like the Shrek balloon in the Macy’s parade. But Peretz — who previously directed the 2006 feature The Ex — gives Rudd plenty of latitude, allowing him to carry the picture, kayak-style, over its rougher patches. Rudd, with his catfishy facial hair and his Crocs, isn’t just a happy-go-lucky truth-teller, the kind of guy whose alleged generosity is really just a disguise for his own self-centeredness. And that’s the key to this character: Ned may upset his sisters’ lives with his navete and his unwanted advice, but Rudd knows better than to make Ned too cuddly. He never lets the character veer too far into adorable manchild territory. Somehow, there’s still an aura of masculinity about Ned — he’s not just some fantasy boyfriend for the Sleepytime Tea set. And any actor who can pull that off has got to know what he’s doing — especially if he’s wearing Crocs.

German B.O. buoyed by 3D, local comedy

BERLIN -- The German box office achieved its second-highest half-year revenue ever as 3D titles and hit local fare generated stellar ticket sales in the first six months of 2011. Teutonic theater operators saw total revenue climb 2.5% to Euros452.8 million ($652.5 million) -- the highest box office result since 2002, according to the German Federal Film Board (FFA). Admissions surged 2.2% to 61.5 million from January to June, 1.3 million more than in the first half of 2010. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," which has grossed more than $63 million in Germany, and Til Schweiger's family comedy "Kokowaah," with a total $43.5 million, led the top earners in the period, followed by the likes of "Hangover 2" ($42.4 million), "Fast Five" ($26.9 million), "The King's Speech" ($23.6 million) and "Black Swan" ($22 million). While there were considerably more 3D releases in the first half of the year, their market share was down compared with the same period in 2010, which was still seeing plenty of holdover business from "Avatar." Theaters sold 12.1 million 3D movie tickets, down from 12.8 million in 2010. The share of admissions for 3D films fell from 21.7% in the first half of 2010 to 19.8% this year. At the same time, distribs rolled out 19 stereoscopic titles, accounting for a 7.3% share of total releases. That was up from only seven 3D releases (3%) in 2010. A total number of 262 films saw release in the first six months of the year compared with 237 in 2010. The market share of German films also climbed slightly to 20.4%. Local productions attracted a total of 12.4 million moviegoers compared with 12 million in the first half of 2010. The average cost of admission in Germany rose slightly to $10.60. FFA topper Peter Dinges said the first-have figures showed a "positive trend" after a spotty first half in 2010. Dinges added that he had high expectations for the second half of the year. In addition to the boffo performances of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II," "The Smurfs" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," major box office moolah is expected from such upcoming releases as "The Three Musketeers," "Wicki and the Treasure of the Gods," "The Adventures of Tintin," "Anonymous" and "Happy Feet 2." Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com

Tricia Helfer Lawyers Up for NBC's The Firm

Emma Stone Four new movies proved to be no match for The Help and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.In its second weekend, The Help rose one spot to top the weekend box office with $20.5 million, Box Office Mojo reports. The drama, starring Emma Stone and Viola Davis, dropped only 21 percent and its cumulative total now stands at $71.8 million.After two weeks at No. 1, Apes slipped to No. 2 with $16.3 million. The film has grossed $133.8 million so far.Rise of the Planet of the Apes stays on top; The Help surprisesSpy Kids: All the Time in the World fared best among the newcomers, nabbing third place with $12 million, slightly ahead of Conan the Barbarian, which reeled in $10 million.The other two releases, Fright Night and One Day, landed in sixth place ($7.9 million) and ninth place ($5.1 million), respectively.Rounding out the top 10: The Smurfs (No. 5, $8 million, bringing its total to $117.8 million); Final Destination 5 (No. 7, $7.7 million); 30 Minutes or Less (No. 8, $6.3 million); and Crazy, Stupid, Love (No. 10, $4.9 million).

Ex-News of the World U.S. editor arrested

LONDON -- Former News of the World U.S. editor James Desborough has been arrested by police in London in conjunction with now-defunct tabloid's phone hacking scandal. Officers from Operation Weeting, the operation investigating the scandal, arrested him "on suspicion of conspiring to unlawfully intercept voicemails contrary to section 1 (1) Criminal Law Act 1977." Desborough, who had been living in Los Angeles since 2009 after being promoted from showbiz reporter at the paper, was arrested on Thursday morning when he arrived at a London police station by appointment for questioning about the illegal activities of the News Intl. paper. He joined News of the World in 2005 as a showbiz and news reporter. His arrest, the 13th by Operation Weeting, is understood to be in relation to activities prior to his promotion to U.S. editor and raises questions about whether he used illegal practices to gather information on U.S. turf, which would further add to News Corp.'s legal and regulatory problems. Desborough was promoted less than a month after winning the British Press Award for showbusiness reporter of the year, where the judging panel said that he "produced a series of uncompromising scoops, which mean no celebrity with secrets can sleep easy." He was also part of the press corps that toured with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they visited Los Angeles recently, and was writing for the News of the World until it closed last month. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

Lady Gaga to Decorate Barney's Christmas Windows in NYC

Lady Gaga is taking over Barneys' windows in New York City this Christmas.our editor recommends Lady Gagas Vogue Cover Released, Additional 60 Minutes Footage Leaked Lady Gaga Reveals 'Born This Way' Cover Art, Revisits Apartment On '60 Minutes'Related Topics•Lady Gaga The singer and her creative team will be given free reign to bring their "interpretation of the iconic Santa's Workshop" to life, the store said in a statement. PHOTOS: Top 10 Highest Paid Music Artists Starting in November, Gaga will begin decorating the windows, portions of the men's stores on the fifth floor and the entire eighth floor. PHOTOS: Grammys: Top 10 Must-See Moments She'll also design and sell small gift items. Twenty-five percent of proceeds will be donated to a charity of Gaga's choosing. "Lady Gaga is a rare cultural phenomenon, not only because of her exceptional talents as a singer... but also with regard to her support of equality and individuality and status as a fashion icon," says Barneys New York CEO Mark Lee. Related Topics Lady Gaga

TLC Cancels Kate Gosselins Kate Plus 8

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- TLC has pulled the plug on Kate Plus 8. The cable network announced it has canceled Kate Gosselins reality series, featuring the adventures of the mom and her large brood. TLC has decided not to renew another season of Kate Plus 8, a network rep said in a statement to Access Hollywood on Monday. By the end of this season, Kate Plus 8 will have hit the 150 episode mark (including Jon & Kate Plus 8); an exceptional milestone. However, this may not be the end of Kates days as a reality star. TLC hopes to check in with Kate and the family periodically with specials in the future, the networks statement continued. The series finale will air on September 12. Kate sat down with Access Hollywood in April, where she talked about how her kids sextuplets and twins felt about having their lives captured by the cameras. The kids love it and every weekend that theyre home, we have something planned. Every vacation, they look forward to it, and we still love it, she told Access at the time. I certainly would not be needing to coerce them into this. If they didnt love it, we wouldnt do it anymore, but theyre loving it, were having the most amazing experiences. ACCESS POLL: Will You Miss The Gosselin Family? Click here to vote! Kate Plus 8 was a spin-off from the original series, Jon & Kate Plus 8, which featured Kate, and her now-ex-husband Jon, along with their kids. The first season of Jon & Kate Plus 8 debuted in April 2007. It ran for five seasons until Jon was removed from the show. Kate Plus 8 debuted without Jon in August 2010. Ratings for the franchise hit an all-time high on June 22, 2009, when the shows fifth season premiere (which featured the couple announcing they were separating) scored 10.6 million viewers the most-watched program in TLC history. By contrast, the most recent episode (airing August 8) was viewed by 1.09 million viewers. Following the couples bitter divorce battle, Jon was removed from the show and Kate Plus 8 was born. The couples divorce was finalized in December 2009. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

TCA: The CW Open To Comedies, Procedurals, Remakes & Superheroes

In his TCA debut, new CW president Mark Pedowitz gave a glimpse at his strategy for the broadcast network. To sum it up, more original programming to bridge the ghastly midseason (and summer) hole on the network's schedule when it goes into a dormant state with low-rated repeats of its serialized dramas. In addition to launching more reality shows and boosting the orders of existing series with more episodes for more weeks of originals (CW is adding 2 episodes each to Gossip Girl and 90210 and 1 to Supernatural and Nikita this season), the network also hopes to add scripted genres that repeat better than serialized dramas for fall 2012. "We are still looking to do high-concept serialized dramas, but we will have a deeper focus on trying to get a good close-ended show that has a CW feel to it," Pedowitz said. And comedy, the genre which exited CW's slate a couple of years ago, may be making a comeback. "We are opening ourselves to look at comedies this year," Pedowitz said. "I think there are some new comedies this fall wouldve worked on the CW, Two Broke Girls, New Girl and Apartment 23." After the session, he stressed that the network will develop comedy "very slowly, very smartly -- baby steps, selectively." He plans to tap into the resources of Warner Bros. TV and CBS TV Studios, "two of the best studios around" for comedy. Pedowitz also gave thumbs-up to remakes. "I do believe in remakes, putting a new twist on a great idea," he said, giving Syfy's Battlestar Galactica and CW's own 90210 as examples. And with the Superman-themed Smallville gone, "we're looking next year to do a superhero show if the right superhero comes to be," he said. Of the shows he developed as president of ABC Studios, the one he feels would've been a better fit for the CW is drama October Road. "It would've been good for the CW," he said. And yes, he was a huge fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, whose star Sarah Michelle Gellar is headlining the network's new series Ringer this fall.

Medium Raw Evening from the Wolf

Taking the sadistic serial killer "The Wolf" was where it starts for rookie cop Johnny Morgan. Because he escorts the monster to his new house at nighttime subterranean halls of Parker's Asylum, bedlam develops and Johnny together with a number of ordinary people become gamers inside a evening of survival from the world's most terrifying inmates.