Boyfriend Accused Of Insider Trading Ahead of Disney-Marvel Deal

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint today against a California man who allegedly used confidential information about Disney's planned acquisition of Marvel Entertainment -- obtained from his girfriend, a Disney employee -- to buy up Marvel stock options before the August 2009 sale and collect $192,000 after the deal was made public and Marvel shares soared. The complaint said that Toby G. Scammell got the insider information from his girlfriend's BlackBerry and used some cash for his purchase from the account of his older brother, who was in the Army and deployed to Iraq at the time. The options raised a red flag at the SEC as Scammell, then 24,had never traded Marvel securities before buying the $5,400 in options. After the sale was announced, Marvel's stock rose 25%, giving Scammell a 3,000% profit when he sold off.

Dirty Dancing Remake Reportedly Has No Script, Casting Ideas

The Internet had the time of its life bashing plans for a new Dirty Dancing when Lionsgate announced it would remake the ’80s classic earlier this week. Perhaps that teeth-gnashing was slightly premature; according to director Kenny Ortega, Dirty Dancing is likely to stay in the corner for quite a while before heading to theaters. “We have a big challenge and a long road ahead of us,” Oretga told TheInsider.com. “All I can say is that I hope we can bring something unique and original to help change the naysayers minds about the film.” That would likely start with a script, though the film reportedly doesn’t have one of those. Nor are there any reported casting ideas, though Ortega knows what he doesn’t want. “I’m not looking for someone to fill Patrick Swayze’s shoes, or Jennifer Grey’s shoes. They’re one of a kind and they deserve to be called that.” “Yes!” shout all of the lapsed Dirty Dancing fans who barely gave the original film a second thought before this week’s remake announcement. From the sounds of it, you may want to pencil in the Dirty Dancing reboot for sometime 2013, at the earliest; let’s agree to reconvine here when Dianna Agron gets cast as Baby. · ‘DIRTY DANCING’ REMAKE DIRECTOR SPEAKS! [TheInsider.com]

'Rise From The Planet From The Apes': Rooting For That Other Men

"Rise from the Planet from the Apes" is just one of individuals movies that, unless of course you have been oblivious to major nerd popular culture in the last 4 decades, you enter the theaters with a decent concept of what to anticipate. Spoiler alert: the apes rise, plus they achieve this in glorious fashion. Though as we are relaxing in the cinema entertaining on which has to be probably the most epic troop-rallying that we have observed in the past few years, there is a certain degree of unease that's mounted on it. In the end, by entertaining about the apes, we are entertaining about the demise of mankind. It appears to become a fascinating moral question that's been appearing in films much more frequently -Body that Tom Felton really wants to you to definitely consider -- also it is not the very first time a film has put us within this predicament. Following the jump, we glance at another movies which make you select involving the species and also the other men. "Avatar" It's interesting that in "Avatar," the greatest grossing movie ever, the film's primary character eventually ends up determining to not be human to be able to join an underlying cause he thinks in. There are not many shades of gray in James Cameron's latest blockbuster: the Na'vi are great folk who would like to appreciate character, and also the humans are money-hungry evildoers. It will help a minimum of the humans only get began The planet pandora, and aren't extremely killed like they somewhat deserved to become. "District 9" If "Avatar" gently place the moral dilemma about the moviegoers' plate, then "District 9" forced them at gunpoint to consume up. Not have I left of the cinema praying a lot for any follow up, particularly so Christopher could return together with his fellow "prawns" and kick humanity's collective butt. The truth that "District 9" reflects real-existence struggles occurring in Nigeria only made the problems elevated within the movie much more poignant and relevant. "King Kong" 'Twas beauty wiped out the animal, folks, but more particularly it had been individuals darn humans who just wouldn't understand. In the end, King Kong did not wish to hurt anybody, he wanted the passion for a particular actress who her fellow humans agreed to him like a sacrifice. Though Kong does not survive with the finish from the film, we certainly finish up empathizing with him a lot more than the flick's human figures. Take a look at five "Rise from the Planet from the Apes" Happy Easter !! Exactly what do you think about this moral dilemma these films have given to audiences? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

U.K.'s Tinopolis Group Acquires Base Prods.

John Brenkus and Mickey Stern's BASE Prods. has become the latest U.S. independent production company in the unscripted TV space to be acquired by a large European company. UKs Tinopolis Group has bought BASE, which has offfices in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, as well as its catalog that includes such programs as Sport Science, Fight Science, Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files and Police POV. The pricetag is said to be around $75 million, a little less than the $95-$100 million Tinopolis recently paid for another U.S. independent company, A. Smith and Co. Both deals have a very similar structure. Like A. Smith, Base will keep its independence, continuing operations from in its facilities in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, with Brenkus and Stern signing multi-year contracts to stay at the helm of the company. In addition, the BASE principals will become significant shareholders and members of the Tinopolis Group management team. Brenkus will have a seat on the Tinopolis Group's North American Board, and Stern will be a member of the Board of the parent company.

Comcast posts higher 2Q earnings

Comcast Corp., the country's largest cable TV company, is bucking the trend among cable companies by making more money from its TV subscribers.While others are seeing declining revenue from the provision of TV signals, Comcast is still eking out some growth. That, along with the sale of still-growing broadband services and strong results from the newly acquired NBC Universal operations, let the company beat expectations with its second-quarter results.The Philadelphia-based company reported Wednesday that its net income of $1.02 billion, or 37 cents per share, for the April to June period, up 16 percent from $884 million, or 31 cents per share, a year ago.Excluding a tax adjustment and costs related to the NBC deal, which closed in January, earnings came to 42 cents per share, beating the 41 cents average expected by analysts polled by FactSet.Revenue rose 51 percent to $14.3 billion. Analysts were expecting $13.7 billion. Revenue from last year's quarter didn't include NBC Universal.Comcast shares rose 27 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $23 in premarket trading after the release of the results. The shares fell 4.7 percent Tuesday.Cable companies have been losing subscribers to satellite TV services for years, and more recently, to phone-company TV services. They've kept their revenue growing by raising prices every year and adding new services like digital video recorders.For Time Warner Cable Inc., the second-largest cable company, that pathway to growth appeared to end in the second quarter, as it reported a 1.3 percent year-over-year drop in revenue from TV services compared to last year. At Charter Communications Inc., the fourth-largest cable company, the drop was 3 percent.Comcast reported a 1.3 percent increase in video revenue in the second quarter, as it earned more money per customer and customer flight slowed slightly versus last year. It still lost 238,000 TV subscribers, slightly more than analysts had expected.Providing TV signals still accounts for more than a third of Comcast's overall revenue, though broadband and phone services make up a growing share of the pie.Comcast bought a majority stake in NBC Universal, parent of the Universal Pictures studio and the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks in January. The division did well in the quarter, helped by the success of "Bridesmaids" and "Fast Five" in theaters. Advertising revenues also grew. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Superman: Guy Of Steel set photos revealed

While there's still no manifestation of the cast in Illinois yet (or that legendary Superman suit), the very first images in the latest location aim for Zack Snyder's Guy Of Steel have made an appearance online.Fans Bill Schofield, Joe Sperandeo and Mike Scola required the photos and published them on Facebook.The pictures show the home and area that'll be used as Kent Farm, where Superman is elevated like a family member after his ship crash lands on the planet.Additionally they show school structures being prepared for filming, with buses parked outdoors colored using the words 'Smallville School Dist.'Man Of Steel stars Henry Cavill, Can Be, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner and will also be launched in United kingdom movie theaters in summer time 2013.

20th TV in pact with 'HIMYM's' Kang

Kourtney Kang has signed a two-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV that will elevate her to exec producer of CBS hit series "How I Met Your Mother." Now a co-executive producer on the sitcom, Kang has worked her way up the ranks of "Mother" since starting as a writer there in 2005. While Kang will be primarily focused on "Mother" in the first half of the upcoming season, she'll also turn her attention to creating new projects for the studio. "This is in recognition of all the amazing work that Kourtney has done," said Dana Walden, chairman of 20th Century Fox TV. "She's a very talented writer who has really played a major role in shaping who the characters are on this show and how the show has evolved." Kang joins "HIMYM" creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas as executive producers on the laffer. Kang got her start in the business as a development executive at NBC before segueing into a writing job on the Peacock half-hour "Coupling." She's collaborated before with Bays and Thomas on a CBS pilot she co-created two seasons ago, "Living on a Prayer." Kang is repped by UTA and attorney Ken Richman. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com