Universal picks up rights to Sinatra catalogue; Report: Scorcese – Sinatra family clash over film..
Our previous post on the film here
…Frank Sinatra Enterprises, a joint venture of Warner Music and the Sinatra estate, is expected to announce today UMG’s acquisition of 38 albums recorded by Sinatra for his own Reprise label, as well as 14 DVDs of performances. UMG has all rights outside North America to the works….
The Sinatra deal will include a re-release of his album “My Way” on its 40th anniversary. (Sinatra will also be the subject of the Twyla Tharp-choreographed “dance-ical” titled “Come Fly With Me,” set to premiere at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater next month.)
Sinatra recorded more than 1,500 songs and sold some 150 million platters in his long career. Rhino, the Warner Music arm that co-owns Frank Sinatra Enterprises, paid $50 million for its half of the venture….
In other news, the film is reportedly stirring up passionate disagreements among the players, as well as lining up stars vying for the lead role:
…director Martin Scorsese has apparently incurred the wrath of Frank Sinatra‘s family, with his plans for a biopic that focuses on the late singer’s alleged Mafia links.
Scorsese’s project, with the working title Sinatra, is the first feature film devoted to the life of the singer whose career encompassed 1,400 musical recordings and dozens of film appearances. But Tina Sinatra, the singer’s 61-year-old daughter and keeper of her father’s flame, is said to be unhappy with the “dark direction” of the film’s script.
According to the New York Post, Tina Sinatra – who Universal Pictures appointed as the film’s executive producer as part of its two-year negotiations to secure the rights to Sinatra’s life story and music – wants a more positive version of her father’s story to be told.
Scorsese, the director of several gangster films such as GoodFellas and Casino, signed up to direct Sinatra in May. A source told the newspaper: “Marty wants it to be hard-hitting and showcase the violent, sexually charged, hard-drinking Frank, but Tina wants to show the softer side of her dad and let the focus be on the music.”…
If the choices are Clooney, DiCaprio and Depp, I vote Johnny!
…Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney and Johnny Depp are allegedly being touted for the lead role in Martin Scorsese’s Sinatra.
TOTUS 1…Shattered…
The broken glass of the TelePrompTer lies at the base of the podium as President Barack Obama speaks at the at the Urban and Metropolitan Policy Roundtable at the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building in Washington Monday, July 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Via AP at HA:
Tapper saw it happen live and somehow pulled himself together to file a report. Tragic mishap? Or further harrowing evidence of The One’s penchant for playing hardball with his enemies, especially those who have betrayed him time and again?…
Midway through his speech on urban and metropolitan policy in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building this afternoon, one of his two small glass prompters came crashing down, hitting the wood floor and crashing in many pieces. It made quite a ruckus.
“Oh, goodness,” a startled President Obama said. “Sorry about that, guys.”
He then proceeded on with his remarks, “To pull our economy back from the brink, including the largest and most sweeping economic recovery plan in our nation’s history…”
For the rest of the speech the president relied on the one remaining teleprompter, to his right, and notes on his podium to finish his speech…
Clip courtesy of TheRollingStones!!!
The Rolling Stones perform “Shattered” in the Martin Scorsese movie, “Shine A Light” live from the Beacon Theater in New York City in the fall of 2006.
Moderate in the Middle 