Hot Trailer: Jiro Dreams Of Sushi

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi profiles 85 year-old Jiro Ono, the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat sushi restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. Sushi lovers come from all over world — calling months in advance to reserve a seat at Jiros sushi bar. Even at his age Jiro still strives for perfection, and the heart of this story is his loving but complicated relationship with his eldest son Yoshikazu. Director David Gelb’s debut feature opens March 9 from Magnolia Pictures.

'Muppets' Director James Bobin Addresses Fox Business Network's Communist Allegation

A gunman randomly opened fire at the intersection of Sunset and Vine in Los Angeles on Friday morning. The suspect was shot and killed by police, according to a report by the AP. After running out of bullets, he allegedly pulled out a knife shouting, "Kill me" and "I want to be killed." The incident occurred at approximately 10:19 am on Dec. 9 near the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood. The area was subsequently closed down as police arrived at the scene. PHOTOS: The Scene at Occupy Los Angeles A spokesperson in the Hollywood office of the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that there was an officer involved in the shooting, but couldn't confirm the suspect was dead. The spokesperson characterized the incident as a "random shooting." According to LA Weekly, LAPD officer Gregory Baek said that the suspect was found dead at the scene. According to an LA Times source, bystanders enlisted the help of two nearby police officers after witnessing a man open fire in the street. The officers were reportedly working on a nearby movie set. A separate witness told KABC-TV that he heard between nine and 12 shots. The man allegedly walked northbound on Vine Street with a gun pointing up in the air, when traffic began coming by, he lowered the gun and aimed it at the cars passing by. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery The Scene at Occupy Los Angeles Related Topics

A Squared, Tata Elxsi form j.v.

A Squared Entertainment and Tata Elxsi have created a partnership named A Squared Elxsi Entertainment LLC. Partnership, introduced Thursday, is targeted at creating, developing and disbursing original top quality animated entertainment, digital gaming and consumer items. "Mixing A2's creative development, brand management and multi-media distribution expertise with Tata's exceptional animation abilities and technology provides for us a significant advantage in present day competitive kids' marketplace," stated A Squared co-leader Andy Heyward. "This new partnership will enable us to grow our resolve for creating and disbursing quality entertainment for children in most formats around the world,Inch stated A2 co-leader Amy Heyward. Tata Elxsi works an animation, visual effects and game development studio located in India having a studio in Santa Monica. Recent productions include films "Kerbside Romeo" (co-created by Disney and Yash Raj Films) and TV advertisements for Coke, Reebok and Wrigley. The brand new venture's daily procedures is going to be handled through the Heywards in the La office. The partnership was orchestrated by sports commentator Vijay Amritraj, an old professional tennis player who introduced the parties and can stick to within an advisory role. Also serving an advisory role is Elizabeth Daley, dean from the College of Los Angeles School of Motion picture Arts. She's the founding professional director from the USC Annenberg Center for Communication and also the professional director from the USC Institute for Multimedia Literacy. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

New Very Noisy and extremely Close Trailer: All Aboard the Polar(izing) Express

You now, too, could possibly get as near as David Denby is ever going to reach “the Daldry” just before release: The brand new trailer for Very Noisy and extremely Close has formally dropped via Apple. It appears just like Oscar-starved because it would be a couple of several weeks ago, though this time around around, Warner Bros., producer Scott Rudin and director Stephen Daldry are putting almost all their eggs in youthful actor Thomas Horn’s Aspergers-y basket. Do you use it? No, really — I’m asking: When the fundamental reason for a trailer would be to intrigue you sufficient to determine the film, is enough to split up you against your money? Even while I admire its conviction and resolve for its youthful star and hard subject material, it’s tough to think that the tear-streaked twee from it all won’t totally polarize everyone. Nevertheless, at this time there's just one moviegoing demographic that actually matters towards the ELAIC braintrust, so hey. “The Daldry” opens in limited release on Christmas Previous day breaking wide on Jan. 20. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

E! banks on Burtka for talent deal

E! has signed a talent deal with David Burtka that will put him on the cabler's "E! News," "Live from the Red Carpet" and other programs and specials. Burtka will report and conduct interviews with pop culture personalities for the various E! offerings, beginning in January. The partner of actor Neil Patrick Harris, Burtka has stage, smallscreen and feature film experience including "Gypsy" and "The West Wing." Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

TV biz buys into backseat Globes role

As the red carpet is rolled out for the Golden Globes, it's a rare opportunity for viewers to see their favorite television actors and movie stars rubbing shoulders as they honor each other's accomplishments over dinner and champagne. But once the who's who of Hollywood gathers under one roof, TV takes a supporting role, not a lead one.During the broadcast itself, film is honored in 15 categories, including screenplay, director and original score, while television only receives 11, all for onscreen talent except drama, comedy and miniseries or motion picture made for TV."It's like nobody writes or directs television," TV Guide Magazine critic Matt Roush says. "(The Golden Globes) doesn't go very deep when it comes to TV. It does seem to me -- from a critical point of view -- that TV is the poor cousin to the movie stars. Television's kind of lucky to be invited."But the attitude within the TV studios and networks is that rather than competing against film, they are running their own race, and what the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. lacks in honoring the craft, it make up with enthusiasm for the finished product."This group loves television," says Richard Licata, exec veep of communications at NBC Universal. "They are voracious television watchers and love to champion new shows."Case in point: In recent years, such shows as "Mad Men," "Glee" and "Boardwalk Empire" all have received awards for top TV show in their first year, and often Emmys have followed -- eventually."(The nominations) are forecasting the Emmy winners three or four years later," says French journalist Herve Tropea, a four-year HFPA member. " 'The Sopranos,' for instance, won the Golden Globe for drama the first year. The Emmys waited until the sixth season to recognize the show. For me, that says everything."Despite overlapping wins, Roush says a Golden Globe is rarely considered a precursor for the Emmy.Still, the value of a Golden Globe nomination or win should not be discounted."It's considerable exposure for your show to be at the Golden Globes because the (awards) show itself has become such a hit," Roush adds. "And I think the show is a hit because it is so not the Oscars. It's not stuffy. You don't have to sit through a lot of things about writers and directors you never heard of, because it really is all about the stars from both movies and television."The other most noticeable difference between the two forms of entertainment is the TV industry's approach to campaigning. Instead of extensive print campaigns, typical for the Emmys, the networks and publicists instead offer access to talent through year-round press conferences and phone interviews."The press conferences I've always viewed more as a journalistic exercise because they need material for the markets they write for," says Licata. "But it serves two purposes: It's for the stories and for consideration for the awards."Cristina Mancini, senior veep of worldwide marketing at 20th Century Fox, who works with the HFPA year-round, laughs at the notion of expensive campaigns so often heard about on the film side."We don't have those types of budgets," she says. "I don't feel that we miss out by not doing it. We get nominations for what we're tracking and ultimately wins where we anticipate them. I don't feel that if I started throwing the soiree of the week, it would tip the dial in either direction."What a Golden Globe means for a show and its network ultimately comes down to exposure -- which hopefully translates to ratings -- and recognition."I don't think the importance of a nomination can be overstated, especially for a first-year show," says "Homeland" exec producer Alex Gansa, who has previously been nominated for his work on "Beauty and the Beast," "The X-Files" and "24." "It says, 'Even though you're the new kid on the block, you belong in the company of the other elite shows on television.' And that translates almost immediately into a bigger audience."And when you're working in a perceived vacuum, there's no trophy -- especially one handed out in front of the entire world -- that won't serve as validation."(The Globe and the Emmy) almost are synonymous in terms of their meaning and value," says creator and exec producer Terence Winter of "Boardwalk Empire," which pocketed last year's drama Globe. "Winning the Globe was equally as thrilling and in some ways more so because it means your show is working, not just here, but it's working everywhere."GOLDEN GLOBE UPDATE Nixing the hijinx jinx | Contemporary directors: Stylists or shape-shifters? | Stateside sitcoms mixed overseas | Awards aren't goal of HFPA giving | TV biz buys into backseat Globes role | Memorable moments at the Globes Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Disney CEO Robert Iger Buys $1 Million of Apple Stock

Getty Images Tracey Gold, who once struggled with anorexia, admits she gets worried when she sees actresses on hit shows shrinking, but she doesn't place the blame solely on Hollywood.our editor recommends'Celebrity Wife Swap' Couples, Premiere Date SetLifetime, 'Army Wives' Producer Developing Affair Drama (Exclusive)Lifetime Reveals 'Project Runway All Stars' Cast, Premiering in JanuaryLifetime Developing Casey Anthony TV Movie Based on Prosecutor's BookLifetime Sets 'America's Most Wanted' Premiere Date'America's Most Wanted' Gets Second Chance on Lifetime The actress toldThe Hollywood Reporter that the root of the problem is more widespread than just the entertainment industry. "I always look at the first season of a TV show and see an actress one way, and then in the second season you see her 10 pounds lighter -- it's a cycle," Gold said. "I think there's an ongoing problem -- not just Hollywood, but also society. It's a widespread problem across the country." STORY: Lifetime Renews 'Army Wives,' Greenlights Jenny Bicks Drama Pilot Gold, who struggled with the disease in the 1990s, is hoping to make a difference in the lives of women battling life-threatening conditions like anorexia and bulimia in Lifetime's new unscripted series Starving Secrets With Tracey Gold, which premieres at 10 pm. Friday. Each hourlong episode will feature Gold sharing her own experiences with other women and working with a team of specialists to help them get the treatment they need. The actress became anorexic at age 19, after finding fame as Carol Seaver on the hit sitcom Growing Pains, and it nearly took her life by age 22. But she believes she would have struggled with anorexia even if she hadn't been in the public eye. Part of the problem today, she said, is that there's even more pressure on celebrities now as the number of tabloids and media outlets covering celebrities has grown, not to mention all the online bloggers and places where fans can post critical comments for all the world to see, like Twitter. STORY: 'Celebrity Wife Swap' Couples, Premiere Date Set; Tracey Gold Among Participants "It's people behind a computer, without ever having to show their face, who are perpetuating more of a need to fit a certain mold," she said. "We live in the age of the Internet, and people can say whatever they want and be really nasty." That's part of the reason she praises young stars like Demi Lovato and Mary-Kate Olsen for not being afraid to seek treatment knowing that their every move is chronicled in the tabloids. She also applauds Miley Cyrus, who recently stuck up to people critical of Lovato after she appeared to gain some weight in the wake of her treatment. At the same time, Gold tries not to judge when she notices an actress losing weight since she doesn't know what's really going on. "It's a very easy thing that the media likes to do to an actress when she loses weight is to slap on the title of anorexia, but that's a dangerous place to go," Gold said. "I don't know anyone's personal struggle, and to make a quick judgment trivializes the true nature of what anorexia really is." STORY: THR's Reality Power List Gold developed the concept for Starving Secrets because she felt like eating disorders weren't being talked about as much as they should be. After coming up with the idea, she pitched it to GRB Entertainment (A&E's Intervention), who then took it to Lifetime (she also serves as an executive producer on the show). She is hoping to shed light on the issue by addressing stereotypes and changing the "glamorized view" of the disorders. She also hopes the six-episode series spurs other women struggling in similar situations to seek help. "My goal is to shed light on what an eating disorder looks like," Gold said. "We get in there with real women to show that it's not a glamorous thing. It's an isolating, lonely, hard, raw disease. It's not skinny women on a red carpet; it's an all-consuming thing in life where everything is falling down around you." Gold, who played Carol Seaver on Growing Pains for seven years, where her character was the brunt of fat jokes from her brother (played by Kirk Cameron). She later played the title role in the TV movie For the Love of Nancy, which centered on the main character's struggle with a severe eating disorder. As for her Growing Pains castmates, she said she still keeps in touch with them through various reunion events they attend. STORY: Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Growing Pains': A Look Back at the 'J. Edgar' Star's Breakout Role And what about Leonardo DiCaprio, whoplayed a homeless boy taken in by the Seaver family in the final season? "I have a great bondage with Leo," she said. "He's busy, but I know if he saw me, he'd give me a big hug. He saw my husband at a Lakers and came running up to him." She also recalls a young Robin Thicke -- son of her TV dad, Alan Thicke -- hanging out on the set. "He's super talented, and I could not be happier for his success," she said of the singer. But Gold is a success story herself: She is now married with four sons and said she's "recovered" from her eating disorder. Becoming pregnant with her first child helped, as she realized her dietary habits were not just affecting her alone anymore. Now, "I go through my life and I'm not obsessing about food," she said. "It doesn't control my day. But I'm smart enough to know in the back of my mind, I have to be mindful not to skip a meal when I'm stressed. I'm not in treatment anymore and I try to eat healthy." Leonardo DiCaprio Reality TV Lifetime Tracey Gold