Burlesque and Die Hard W/Out DRM: Trade Roughage 10/16/07

By Karina Longworth on October 16, 2007 at 5:25 am

Plus: Harvey Weinstein goes to Abu Dhabi, and Drew Carey gets "stupid".

Stripper-turned-blogger-turned-Juno screenwriter Diablo Cody has “revised” the script for a new musical called Burlesque. Concieved by Pussycat Dolls co-creator Steven Antin, the musical will incorporate “established songs” into the story of “a young woman who tries to escape a hollow past and finds it performing in a neo-burlesque club in Los Angeles.” So it’s like Flashdance meets Moulin Rouge, with Cody undoubtedly supplying references to Thundercats and “porkswords.”
In what The Hollywood Reporter is calling “an industry first”, the upcoming special edition DVD of Live Free or Die Hard will include an extra version of the film specifically for use on computers and mobile devices. The file, which will carry no DRM, will be compatible with all “Windows-based computers or portable video players equipped with Microsoft Windows’ PlaysForSure feature, available from such manufacturers as Archos, Toshiba, Samsung, RCA, Dell and Creative Labs.” So those of us with iPods can suck it.
Drew Carey has launched a new web project in cahoots with think tank the Reason Foundation. The newly-minted game show host will host a series of short documentaries for the site, tackling a variety of social issues. Says Carey: “We need Reason to help fight the stupid drug laws, the stupid immigration laws and stupid big government in general.” I swear, that’s the actual quote.
In a shocking victory over the competition (um…The Nanny Diaries?), Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series has been selected to receive the Variety–sponsored Blockbuster Book to Film Award later this month at the Quills.
Despite an “effusive” keynote speech from guest speaker Harvey Weinstein, critical mass has yet to be achieved at the Middle East Film Festival in Abu Dhabi, where “screenings unspooled with half-empty auditoriums at the main fest venue” on Monday.