Manchester United vs Arsenal

It seems churlish to suggest it with only two games of the Premier League gone, but Arsenal's trip to Old Trafford will define how their season pans out. A team in crisis faces one brimming with confidence after the latest generation of Manchester United youngsters dispatched Tottenham 3-0 on Monday and, while Arsenal gained some pride back by sealing a place in the Champions League group stages with a win over Udinese, their league campaign has yet to get off the ground. Seldom have the mind games between Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson been of such little consequence. With the Gunners struggling to challenge for the Champions League spots, let alone the league title, Fergie the master has turned his barrels to other targets; a withering assessment that suggests (for all the respect he has for him) he does not view Wenger as a genuine rival anymore

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'Game Of Thrones' Gains A Sailing, Ryan Gosling Might Use Terrence Malick

Pirates are coming as surely as winter towards the second season of "Bet on Thrones." Entertainment Weekly found that British actor Lucian Msamati continues to be drawn on to experience Lyseni sailing Salladhor Saan. Like a friend of Davos Seaworth, Saan is really a mercenary sailing who joins the ranks of Stannis Baratheon's rebellion from the Lannister forces at King's Landing. Lucky for Msamati, Saan includes a significant presence with the relaxation from the series. Browse the relaxation of present day casting news following the jump! Ryan Gosling To Utilize Terrence Malick? If "Drive" director Nicolas Winding Refn will be thought, Ryan Gosling is going to be dealing with film auteur Terrence Malick before he continues to star in "Logan's Run." Film School Rejects is confirming that Refn pointed out that Gosling may be focusing on Malick's untitled next film. He'd be joining Film Clip, Jessica Chastain, Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz, Michael Sheen, Javier Bardem and much more within the star-studded cast, if Refn is correct. Take advantage of Corddry To Become Among Summit's "Warm Physiques" Variety has found that Take advantage of Corddry is within final discussions to become listed on Summit Entertainment's zombie romance flick "Warm Physiques." He'll join the formerly introduced leads Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer like a zombie who's not the same as the relaxation of his undead kin. "Warm Physiques" follows an "existentially-tormented zombie" who falls for that girlfriend of 1 of his sufferers, and eventually ends up reconnecting together with his lost humanity because he safeguards her from his fellow zombies. Kyle Chandler Includes A Role In "Argo" Film Clip is preparing to start filming his latest directorial effort, "Argo," and USA Today has found that Kyle Chandler may be the latest actor in the future aboard. Though they did not disclose what part he'll be playing, the newspaper did state that the "Friday Evening Lights" star may have a "small part" within the film. "Argo" is one of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, and it is set hitting theaters in 2012. Alexander Skarsgard Joins "Disconnect" The film roles continually come set for "True Bloodstream" star Alexander Skarsgard. After being cast in "The East" the 2009 week, Variety is confirming he and three other stars came aboard the indie film "Disconnect." He'll be became a member of by Michael Nyqvist, Frank Grillo and Colin Ford online-centered drama. Skarsgard will have an old Marine who's psychologically stop from his wife, which in turn causes him to look for an affair. Inform us your ideas on present day Casting Get in touch with your comments ought to section below or on Twitter!

Kinepolis tix sales drop 6.8%

LONDON -- European multiplex group Kinepolis has announced a 6.8% drop in ticket sales and a 4.9% fall in box office for the first six months of 2011. Box office revenue was Euros 66.8 million ($96.5 million), from admissions of 9.8 million. The Ghent, Belgium-based group, which operates 22 cinemas in Belgium, France, Spain, Poland and Switzerland, said the decline was due to a weaker lineup of films than in early 2010, when "Avatar" gave an exceptional boost to admissions. Nonetheless, attendance figures were also down 2.3% compared with the first half of 2009. Kinepolis reports that admissions and box office have picked up significantly since June, with the summer blockbuster season boosted by rainy weather. The group posted sales of Euros111 million ($160 million) in the first half, down 1.2%. But net profits were up 20.6% to Euros14 million ($20.2 million), thanks to greater efficiency and lower interest and taxes. The exhib suffered the biggest declines in France and Spain, where ticket sales dropped 10%. Admissions fell by just 3% in Belgium, reinforced by a stronger lineup of local movies. In the first half of 2011, Kinepolis became the first European exhibitor to start installing Barco 4K projectors across all its sites. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

'Drive' Director Nicolas Winding Refn 'Would Love' To Do Wonder Woman With Christina Hendricks

A big-screen version of 'Wonder Woman' is sure to be a major studio film with a mandatory PG rating, but the director of some of the bloodiest foreign movies we've ever seen is angling for the job. That's right, 'Valhalla Rising' director Nicolas Winding Refn is saying he "would love" to take on Wonder Woman and that 'Mad Men's Christina Hendricks (who has a small role in his new film 'Drive') would make the perfect leading lady. (He's not the first one with the idea, by the way.) At a Q&A at the Empire Big Screen event in London, the Danish filmmaker revealed his superhero ambitions, but there's a slight catch: "Warner Bros. haven't called yet." Winding Refn is already committed to another big mainstream movie for Warner Bros., 'Logan's Run,' which he sees as a stepping stone. "I think someone said to me in a meeting that if I get 'Logan's Run' right, then I'll get 'Wonder Woman," he said. CinemaBlend thinks the director might have been joking when he first mentioned Wonder Woman at the LA Film Fest, but then, maybe he has a different definition of "superhero." As the director told Playlist, a pivotal, incredibly violent scene with Ryan Gosling in 'Drive' is the one in which Carey Mulligan realizes "this man is psychotic... but also that's the scene where he transforms himself into a superhero." Winding Refn was recently mentioned as being on the "short list" to direct the next 'Die Hard' film, which seemed like a reach when we heard about it. But sounds like it might be right up his alley after all. Should Winding Refn start making superhero movies? And would Christina Hendricks make a great Wonder Woman? [via The Playlist and CinemaBlend] image courtesy of WireImage

East Wind Rain

Year 1941, a roll of film is delivered to Shanghai and a Chinese spy named Gong An Ming (Liu Yun Long) must decide what he should do with the film, which turns out containing a great secret that could shock the whole world. He discovers the plan code named 'East Wind Rain' and passes the information to the American that their territory will soon be invaded by the Japanese. The code is aired during the weather report from Radio Tokyo on Dec 4, 1941. While in Shanghai An Ming meets with a singer cum pianist, Huan Yan (Fan Bing Bing) and falls in love with her, not realizing that she is also one of the spies. Soon An Ming realizes that his effort found no success and have been ignored due to some reason. And now by risking his own life he must also decide whether to make Huan Yan his lover or his enemy? Will the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor in the end? Which country is Huan Yan working as a spy for? Will An Ming get caught by his enemy?

Comedy 'Family Album' Not Moving Forward At Fox Will Which Help 'Breaking In'?

Fox's single-camera comedy pilot Family Album is no more in contention for midseason.One among the warmer aircraft pilots in the network earlier this season, the half-hour, written byJoe Port and Joe Wiseman and directed by Shawn Levy, did not obtain a series order but, together with another comedy pilot, Little In Keeping, was place in redevelopment for midseason consideration. The network purchased an airplane pilot reshoot, which later morphed into filming another episode/pilot. The project's original premise ended up being to to possess each season occur throughout a household vacation and also the pilot reflected that. I hear that Fox ultimately discovered that premise too small and requested the designers to show Family Album into a classical family show, with every episode centered on another incident within the family's daily existence, including one chronicling the holiday. The studio, 20th TV, which co-produces Family Album with 21 Laps/Adelstein Prods., extended the choices on starsMike O'Malley and Rachel Harris and standout supporting playerRob Huebel in the finish of June, while Port, Wiseman and fellow executive producers Levy, Adelstein and Becky Clements centered on reworking the show.Butafter lots of back-and-forth using the network, I hear the producers and also the studio felt that by changing Family Album right into a family show the idea no more felt as unique and particular because they wanted so that it is. Stated an individual near to the network, "We loved the auspices but ultimately couldn't obtain a obvious handle about the creative direction for any re-tooled pilot." The program for such pilot has been scrapped. Family Album's paves the way for that reveal that will not die, Breaking In, that was acquired to series 6 several weeks after Fox handed down the pilot simply to be canceled in May after a number of airings. Enjoy it did this past year, creating studio The new sony TV extended the choices about the stars, this time around discussing the price with Fox. The only-camera place of work comedy continues to be put into the pool of challengers for that two-hour comedy block Fox intends to launch in March when Glee continues hiatus. The area initially incorporated new series New Girl and and that i Hate My Teenage Daughter in addition to aircraft pilots Family Album and Little In Keeping competing for 3 from the 4 slots. (Raising Hope includes a full-season order.) Breaking In lately joined the fray, getting the amount of challengers to five. That number has dropped to 4 using the exit of Family Album.

Kathy Griffin Fires Back in a&E's 'Hoarders' in New Emmy Campaign Ad (Exclusive)

Kathy Griffin is firing back in a&E, which used her quotes to advertise its reality show Hoarders within an Emmy campaign ad.our editor recommendsKathy Griffin, Bravo Finish 'My Existence about the D List'Kathy Griffin Visiting BroadwayEXCLUSIVE: Kathy Griffin Dares to become Tossed Off CNN's Live New Year's Eve BroadcastKathy Griffin Eliminates CNN Ejection, Resolves to Offend Willow Palin this year Recently, A&E first showed a print ad for Hoarders -- that is nominated within the reality program category alongside Bravo's Kathy Griffin: My Existence about the D-List -- that used boldfaced quotes from Griffin offering the A&E show. STORY: 2011 Emmy Award Nominations The blurbs incorporated "My personal favorite new show," "I'm enthusiastic about Hoarders" and "Hoarders is really f#*@ing fantastic!" -- by using Griffin's title's printed underneath. Actually, Griffin regularly mentions her dependence on the A&E show and it has even spoken about this in her own stand-up special offers which have broadcast on Bravo. But, as you may expect, she's not prepared to allow the ad go with no response. STORY: Kathy Griffin Among Guest Idol judges on Approaching Season of 'America's Next Top Model' Bravo is placed to unveil its Emmy campaign ad for D-List on Friday by which Griffin is proven encircled by stacks upon stacks of newspapers and magazines using the lines, "Estimating me within an Emmy ad? Bravo, Hoarders. BRAVO." On her part, Griffin told The Hollywood Reporter within an exclusive statement why Emmy voters should award her the statuette over her A&E competitor. "I visited Wasilla, knocked on Sarah Palin's door with Levi Johnston, marched on Washington to repeal DADT ['Don't Request, Don't Tell'], were built with a pelvic exam on camera, joined the subterranean realm of toddler pageants (where I'm still the reigning Little Miss Mature Lady Grand Supreme BTW) and also got acting training from Liza f---ing Minnelli," she stated. "Hoard that, bitches!" STORY: 'Same Title': Kathy Griffin, Mike Tyson and Reggie Rose bush Accept CBS' 'Freaky Friday' Challenge This marks Hoarders' first Emmy nom within the reality program category and Griffin's sixth. D-List formerly won the award in 2007 and again the year after. Also nominated within the category are CBS' Undercover Boss, Discovery's Most harmful Catch and Mythbusters and PBS' Antiques Roadshow. Related Subjects Emmy Honours Primetime Emmy Honours Kathy Griffin Honours Bravo Emmys 2011

The opposite of hex

Idris Elba is nominated for both 'Luther' and 'The Big C.'Johnny Galecki of 'The Big Bang Theory' enjoys diving into roles that are unfamiliar territory. If Johnny Galecki wins an Emmy for his book-smart character on "The Big Bang Theory," it won't be because he's a rocket scientist in real life."Growing up, math was my least favorite subject," says the actor who will be competing against his co-star and last year's winner, Jim Parsons, in the category of lead actor in a comedy. "I can't even spell physics."But having little in common with Leonard Hofstadter is just fine with Galecki. In fact, it's ideal. Like most actors, Galecki got into the business to be someone else."The more a character is like myself, the more uncomfortable I am," says Galecki, who is actually playing himself on the final season of "Entourage." "You want to be able to hide behind the mask."Idris Elba, nominated for his part as a hot-headed detective in BBC America's "Luther," says playing someone far from your own personality is a challenge every serious actor should crave."It's a bit more fun when you take on a role that's not written for someone like me or for someone who looks like me," he says. "I can understand why some actors gravitate to roles close to them, but the further away the role is, the more I get to act. There's a school of thought that you should get a quirky actor to play a quirky part, but why not get a guy who isn't quirky at all and acts his butt off?"Emmy voters seem to drawn to that philosophy.This year's nominees in leading male categories include Michael C. Hall as a serial killer in "Dexter," Hugh Laurie as an acerbic doctor on "House" and Alec Baldwin as a die-hard conservative in "30 Rock." As far as we know, Baldwin is still a card-carrying liberal, Laurie rarely snaps at his peers and Hall has never been charged with murder.But actors who do create signature roles face the problem of being typecast in the future. It took Ted Danson, recently cast on "CSI," nearly a decade to escape the notion that he could succeed with characters who weren't skirt-chasing bartenders. Kelsey Grammer, who portrays a ruthless Chicago mayor in Starz's upcoming series "Boss," remains Frasier Crane to many of his fans and Matthew Perry still struggles to separate himself from Chandler Bing.Eric Deggans, media critic for the St. Petersburg Times, says actors best known for the small screen sometimes have a tougher task of being accepted in wide range of roles."TV brings actors into your home, as if they are your friends," he says. "If you bond with a Jennifer Aniston or a Ray Romano, you don't want them to change."Elba has been able to take on various roles because none of his previous TV work, which includes "The Wire" and "The Office," has made him a household name. That may all come to an end if he gets an Emmy for "Luther," although Elba is determined not to get typecast."If it becomes easy for me, I'll start giving the same performances," he said. "I want a challenge."ROAD TO THE EMMYS: THE ACTORActors look to play characters unlike themselvesComedy | Drama | Miniseries & Movies Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com