Ellen DeGeneres Buy Kaira Pitts Malibu Home For $12 Million

First Launched: December 18, 2011 11:55 AM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Ellen DeGeneres, Kaira PittLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Ellen DeGeneres is putting lower roots where Kaira Pitt once laid his mind. The daytime host completed a deal to purchase Brads Malibu, Calif., home for $12 million on Friday, according to People. A seaside rental fees are split up into two separate houses, which boast ocean sights, lush gardens and beach access. Ellens new pad is substantially smaller sized in comparison to fifteen,000-sq foot . Beverly Slopes home she and wife Portia P Rossi recently put in the marketplace, calculating in at roughly 4,000-sq foot, in line with the mag. Ellen and Portias sprawling estate listed for just about any whopping $49 million was featured in Architectural Digest magazines October problem, where the funnywoman referred to her adoration for home buying and home design. We did not possess a home once i was maturing, Ellen mentioned. We always leased. But my father would dream, which we used to look at houses constantly. Id determine which mattress room might be mine and acquire all excited. The initial factor I did so once i made money was buy a house, she added. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Some of TV's Best Talent Moonlight on the Webseries 'Husbands'

For their day jobs, Jane Espenson and Jeff Greenstein bring hit ABC series to lifeEspenson as a writer-producer on the new arrival "Once Upon a Time" and Greenstein as a director on the stalwart "Desperate Housewives." So what would entice these two to work on a webseries whose 11-episode budget probably equals less than the tab for one day's catering on their network shows? Creative freedom and the talent of a man named Cheeks. Cheeks, aka Brad Bell, writes with Espenson and stars in the webseries "Husbands," a comical look at what happens when a famous actor (Cheeks) wakes up in Vegas married to an openly gay baseball player (Sean Hemeon). The result is 11 short, funny, well-produced episodes that could rival many network sitcoms for laughs per second. Back Stage spoke with the trio about their collaboration.Back Stage: How did you become involved with this project? Jane Espenson: We met through social media, actually.I saw Cheeks' material on his YouTube channel (GoCheeksGo), and I wanted to meet him. I found him via Twitter and a mutual friend.We were friends for a while and were basically keeping track of what the other person was doing.When Cheeks started tentatively working on a web project with my friend Alessandra Torresani ("Caprica"), I ended up getting involved.The project evolved into what we now know as "Husbands: The Series." What I love about the project is that it's both really timely and grounded in the marriage equality discussion, and it's also just flat-out character-based humor.It was one of those situations where the combination of elements just felt totally right.Cheeks wrote the first draft incredibly quickly, and that's always a good signif something is off about a concept, it often sort of blocks itself by becoming difficult to write.This was like a good pancake; it just slid off the pan all golden.Jeff Greenstein: Jane Espenson and I have been friends for many years, so when either of us has something new in the works, we always ask the other one to read it. I read an early draft of "Husbands," thought it was hilarious, and gave Jane and Cheeks some notes. Then I read the next draft and offered a few more thoughts. Then, over a dish of spicy fries at our favorite Burbank rib joint, Jane asked me to direct it. Of course!Back Stage: What was the appeal of doing something on such a smaller scale than a weekly TV series? Greenstein: Total creative control, being accountable to no one but ourselves, getting to make exactly the show we wanted to make. I believe that the shoestringiness of a small-scale production always tends to bring out one's creativity.Espenson: In general, it's the speed and flexibility and control.It went very quickly from concept to release, and we were able to make adjustments on the fly without worrying about any bosses above us.It also really fosters a sense of teamwork when you're working in such a small group.Everyone is really motivated to be creative. I loved the feel of it.Back Stage: Jane, do you find you write differentlyperhaps more freelyfor online content? Are there things you've always wanted to do that you now have the opportunity to because of the platform? Espenson: In a way it's a little freer, because we could do things like swear and not worry about whether or not our content was too edgy. But it's also a little more constrained, because you can't afford to change locations or add other actors to a scene.Looking forward, now that I've experienced this, I imagine that I will do more writing for the websome content is just perfect for this forum.Back Stage: And how are you balancing your workload while writing for the new hit, "Once Upon a Time"? Espenson: It was a little tight during the time we were actively shooting "Husbands." I was literally writing on set. But that phase of the work is done, so it's not too much work now.It's just about perfect, in fact.Back Stage: How involved are you both with the running of the series? Espenson: All three of us were very involved. There are decisions to be made at every step of the process, and we tried really hard to reach a decision all three of us were happy with at each point.Casting, shooting, cutting, releasing, promotingthese are all complicated, and we were all up to our elbows.We were also lucky to have a great crew that made it all so much easier.Greenstein: As an executive producer, I help out with everything but the writing, and I even help out a tiny bit with thatthe final line of the penultimate episode was mine. But my primary responsibility is as director, which means it's my responsibility to bring to life the wonderful story the writers have given me.Cheeks: From creation to writing, producing, and distribution, Jane, Jeff, and I really had a hand in every decision. We went through the proper channels for casting and put breakdowns out to agencies. Some actors were submitted by their agents, some submitted on their own, and some actors were recommendations from casting directors. The casting process was long and arduous, but I guess every casting is that way. Our last scheduled audition was Sean Hemeon, who was every bit exactly what we were looking for. He nailed it. Back Stage: How did you go about casting the show? Greenstein: Cheeks and Alessandra were already in place. For Brady, we put out a breakdown and received several hundred responses. But the big break came when Scott Genkinger, the casting director at "Desperate Housewives,"my day job, recommended we take a look at Sean Hemeon. Jane and Cheeks and I auditioned him and, mere seconds after he walked out of the room,agreed he'd nailed it. Sean's just gotten better and better ever since.Espenson: It was an impossible role. He had to be believable as a pro ballplayer, and as a guy who only recently came out.He had to be funny and have good chemistry with Cheeks.Sean is perfect.The scene we had him read became Episode 4 of the series; you can see it along with all the rest of the episodes at HusbandsTheSeries.com. It's the proposal scene, and he just nailed itardent, then defeated, then romantic, then funny. We are very lucky.Back Stage: Cheeks, how important do you think it is for an actor to create their own work or content? Cheeks: I think it's imperative for a number of reasons. Not only can you build your own reel and showcase what it is you do best; you can also create a brand, an audience, a fan following. I think this is an important advantage. An actor that will bring eyes to a project is an asset to the production team. If a director is deciding between you and another actor, the fact that you will put his project in front of thousands of people simply by being attached might just be what wins you the role. It also opens new doors to new people. YouTube is how I met Jane, and that kind of business and personal connection is a large part of why I put myself on YouTube in the first place. Having my work online has brought many a connection, job offer, and audition opportunities.Watch the first episode below.

First Great Gatsby Images: Welcome to the East Egg Dinner Theater!

So Baz Luhrmann beats on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into 3-D. In the first photos from his splashy new The Great Gatsby adaptation, stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, and Joel Edgerton vamp it up like humorlessly obsessed guests at a murder mystery dinner party. Anybody else find the casting here a bit too pat and obvious? Leonardo DiCaprio is a… a moneyed and aloofly self-interested man! Tobey Maguire is… a nervous, kowtowing outsider! Carey Mulligan is… the new Mia Farrow again! Well. Check out the images for yourself and see if I’m too cynical. Can’t you picture a party tray of spiked punch and pizza rolls just out of frame next to Leo and Carey? They’re high school sophomores wearing their best thrift store finds and acting saucy with the rest of drama club. It’s a little hilariously inept, but it also looks sincere. Question is, do we need to see that hammy sincerity in 3-D? I assume not, but maybe Baz is adding kaleidoscopic flair to the whole thing. Great + Gatsby, if you will. First Official Images from THE GREAT GATSBY Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan [Collider]

Anderson Cooper, Miley Cyrus, J.R. Martinez Salute CNN Heroes at Star-Studded Tribute

Peter Iovino/The Weinstein Co. The Artist and the entire Harry Potter film series were voted special awards as the American Film Institute chose its official selections for AFI Awards on Sunday.our editor recommends'The Artist's' Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo to Receive the Santa Barbara Film Festival's Cinema Vanguard AwardAFI Fest Hands Out Audience Awards to 'With Every Heartbeat,' 'Bullhead' The AFI Awards, which focus on American features, cited ten movies of the year: Bridesmaids, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, J. Edgar, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life and War Horse. For TV programs of the year, it selected Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Game of Thrones, The Good Wife, Homeland, Justified, Louie, Modern Family and Parks and Recreation. The selections were made by two juries, one for film and one for television. They were chaired by producers and AFI board of trustees vice chairs Tom Pollock, for movies, and Richard Frank, for TV, and included Whoopi Goldberg, film historian Leonard Maltin, uniiversity professors, critics and members of the AFI board of trustees. The creative ensembles behind the chosen film and TV shows will be honored at an invitation-only luncheon on Jan. 13 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. Harry Potter Oscars 2007 The Artist

'Wrinkles' uses classic techniques to produce miracle

Published: Thu., 12 ,. 8, 2011, 4:00am PTBy 'Wrinkles'The bleak reality of the old folk's home meets magical surrealism in "Arrugas" (Facial lines), the hands-attracted animated feature from director Ignacio Ferreras, in line with the 2008 comic by Spain's National Comic Prize champion Paco Roca."Our large challenge was carrying out a whole feature just for two million ($2.7 million)," states producer Manuel Cristobal. "This is a very tight plan for animation, however it assisted a lot that Ignacio isn't just a really experienced animator and storyboarder but understood how you can tell a tale without needing an excessive amount of animation but still have great results. He could provide a higher style in feel and look, and that we also labored with experienced galleries like Cromasoma, which co-created it."Based on Cristobal, the majority of the animation was completed in The country, with roughly 25% outsourced towards the Philippines. In tugging together the creative team and funding for that project, it assisted to think about such precedents among adult-oriented animated features as "Persepolis," another stylized toon modified from the graphic novel."?'Arrugas' has offered perfectly in The country, Japan and all sorts of over Europe, and that we understood we'd a really effective story to inform,Inch Cristobal states. "Therefore we made the decision to follow along with the comicbook very carefully from both story and artistic perspective. Our film is the same, to ensure that was a benefit, and that we understood we're able to attain the 2D style and appear despite the fact that we'd so very little money. Because animation frontiers have broadened a lot, I understood we're able to consider using a drama such as this.Inch EYE Around The Academy awards: ANIMATION Animated photos boost property valuesWhether focusing on a shoestring hands-attracted project or pushing the limits laptop or computer-produced technology, the 2011 choices transformed major challenges in getting their animated visions to screen. Here's how:'Arthur Christmas' 'Chico and Rita' 'Gnomeo and Juliet' 'Rango' 'Wrinkles' 'Rio' Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Donald Trump's GOP Debate: Mitt Romney Becomes Third Candidate Who Won't Participate

Winner for the hottest topic in Hollywood: Netflix.our editor recommendsSony Executive Talks Early Digital Film Releases, Netflix, Future of Music Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes: 'Netflix Is Our Friend'CBS CEO Leslie Moonves: 'We Want a Healthy Netflix'Starz Not 'Reveling' in Netflix's Pain After Severing Ties With the Company, Says Top ExecNetflix Hires Former Skype Executive and FCC Advisor to Head Government Relations That's judging from an investors conference in NY that wraps up Wednesday and where some of the industry's biggest players are there to promote their own TV and film businesses, though they couldn't stop talking about Netflix. No wonder, then, when Netflix CEO Reed Hastings finally took the floor, it was standing-room, with heavy hitters like Harvey Weinstein joining an audience primarily of Wall Street bankers and analysts. Before Hastings sat down for a Q&A with UBS executive Aryeh Bourkoff, his ears must have been burning, since he and Netflix had already been discussed by Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei and others. "Last year you were a key topic here, but you were not here. There was a mix of fear, envy and mystique," Bourkoff said, noting that it was the first time Hastings appeared at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. "Now it's just pity," Hastings joked, a reference to a decimated stock price and a dented reputation brought about by a dramatic price increase and other public-relations misfires. Hastings told the audience that he considers the "quite impressive" HBO Go his primary competition. If the on-demand service for HBO subscribers was part of Netflix, it would account for 25 percent of its customers' streaming, he estimated. "They're not competing directly with us, but they can," Hastings said. "We'll push each other like two runners." Referencing Netflix's upcoming original series House of Cards, Hastings said of HBO in general: "They are becoming more like us and we are becoming more like them." Hastings also predicted that within 10 years about half of all TV viewing in the U.S. will come via the Internet, and it's that assumption that caused the company to charge head-strong into streaming even though, in hindsight, the move was "a little too fast" and he ended up irritating consumers. He acknowledged that he and the executives at Netflix rarely watch DVDs anymore, so he may have misread the typical consumer. "Our big obsession for the year was, 'let's not live and die by DVD,'" he said. Of the 60 percent price hike that got the company so much negative attention and cost Netflix about 1 million subscribers, Hastings said: "We berate ourselves tremendously for that lack of insight." Hastings said Netflix will stream 1 billion hours of content this quarter and, if House of Cards goes well, he could see the company eventually spending as much as 15 percent of its content-acquisition budget on original shows. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Netflix's 10 Most Rented Movies of All Time Related Topics Time Warner Leslie Moonves CBS Jeff Bewkes Liberty Media Netflix House of Cards Reed Hastings UBS

Angelina Jolie Sued For Copyright Infringement Over New Film

Jason Merritt/Getty Images Just weeks before Angelina Jolie is scheduled to release her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, the actress/filmmaker has been sued by Croatian journalistJames Braddock, who claims the forthcoming movie about a love affair during theBosnian Civil War violates his copyright on a book, The Soul Shattering.our editor recommendsAngelina Jolie Discusses 'Dark Past' on '60 Minutes' (Video)Angelina Jolie Eyes Iraq Pioneer Biopic 'Gertrude Bell' for Ridley Scott (Exclusive)Angelina Jolie Signs with Talent AgencyAngelina Jolie's 'In The Land of Blood & Honey' Trailer Released Braddock is demanding statutory damages plus an injunction against the film's release. Jolie isa goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and she certainly travels far and wide promoting humanitarian causes, but what is the likelihood she had seen Braddock's original book, which was published in Croatian in 2007? According to Braddock's lawsuit, the key figure might be an individual named Edin Sarkic, a co-defendant in the lawsuit who served as one of the film's producers and has been credited in the press with helping Jolie attain the necessary permits to film inSarajevo. PHOTOS: Hollywood's 10 Highest-Paid Actresses Braddock claims that after publishing his book in 2007, he traveled to Sarajevo to promote his work and create awareness for Bosnian war victims. There, he says he was allegedly approached by Sarkic, who told Braddock that he read The Soul Shattering and wanted to meet to discuss the book in further detail. Braddock and Sarkic allegedly met three more times in 2008 to discuss details about the book, "including plot and character development and the story's cultural significance and historical accuracy." The discussions are said to have evolved into the possibility of creating a film adaptation of the book. The two kept in touch over telephone and text messages over the next two years. Braddock also says he e-mailed an individual at one of Jolie's charities to propose a collaboration on a project to build villages across Sarajevo and New Orleans. VIDEO: Angelina Jolie Reveals Past Aspirations to Become Funeral Director Then, Braddock says he learned of Jolie's movie. He details some of the similarities, including the backdrop of war-torn Bosnia and Herzogovina in the early 1990s, a main female character who is captured and imprisoned and raped by soldiers, and a Serbian camp commander who falls in love with the woman and helps her escape. VIDEO: Angelina Jolie Reveals Inspiration Behind Her Directorial Debut, 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' It'll be up to a judge to determine whether the claimed "obvious" similarities meet the high threshold needed to prove copyright infringement. Braddock's lawyer, Kelly Saindon, will have to demonstrate substantial similarity in expression, not merely the use of unprotectable ideas. Besides Jolie and Sarkic, the other defendants areGK Films, FilmDistrict, and Scout Film. The film is scheduled to be released on December 23. Here's the complaint: E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery I'm Quitting the Biz: 16 Hollywood Retirements (and 'Retirements') Angelina Jolie In the Land of Blood and Honey