NAACP taps Lucas for Vanguard Award

George Lucas will be receive the NAACP Vanguard Award at the 43rd annual Image Awards, held Feb. 17 at the Shrine Auditorium. The Academy Award-winning director was tapped for a body of work that the NAACP says has increased understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. Lucas is executive producer of the animated TV series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." He also served as executive producer on "Red Tails," a new film inspired by the heroic exploits of America's first all-black aerial combat unit. Lucas joins previously announced honoree Cathy Hughes, who will receive the Chairman's Award. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

Indie Brit pix nab record U.K. share

LONDON -- Independent British films hit their greatest ever recorded share of the market in the U.K. box office this past year, because of photos like "Mess Tailor Soldier Spy," "The Inbetweeners" and "The King's Speech." Based on independent research in the British Film Institute, the share of the market of indie U.K. photos in the local B.O. was 14% -- the greatest ever on record. Stellar is a result of "King's Speech" and comedy "Inbetweeners," which both made $71 million, along with a $22.3 million gross for "Mess Tailor" counseled me key motorists within the Brit indie surge. It had been a great year for U.K. movie theaters generally with admissions up 1.4% year-on-year at 172 million. U.K. B.O. sitting at $1.64 billion, up 5% from 2010, even though some of the is credited towards the 2.5% hike in Vat, which start working at the beginning of 2011. Share of the market for those U.K. photos, including "Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" and "Sherlock Houses: A Game Title of Shadows," paid for for 36% from the total box office, up from 24% this year. Total purchase of U.K.-based film production arrived at $1.99 billion, which $1.6 billion originated from worldwide productions lensing within the territory. Overall invest in worldwide productions was up 3%. While invest in film production in Blighty overall was up, the entire quantity of U.K. photos created with budgets of just one million ($789,000) or even more fell to 71, lower from 78 this year. 90-eight photos were made on budgets below $789,000, getting the entire quantity of U.K. feature photos created this year to 169, lower on 2010's 262 photos. However, the amount of U.K. co-productions elevated by 1 / 3 to 40, while co-productions recorded a U.K. spend of $93.a million. BFI Boss Amanda Nevill noted that although the outcomes were positive overall, "will still be a frightening time for filmmakers attempting to raise finance to create independent films within this tough economic system.Inch Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

A lengthy evening

DGA prexy Taylor Hackford with host Kelsey Grammer George Clooney, Christine Lahti, Thomas Schlamme and Paris Barclay work the ballroom Saturday evening at Hollywood & Highland. Kaira Grey and Martin Scorsese attend the organization company directors Guild Honours.Director Penelope Spheeris and actress-director Jennifer Aniston Norman Jewison, Jon Favreau and Penelope Ann Burns talk movies.It made an appearance the always extended DGA Honours would always more leave site visitors nodding off far past their mattress time as nominees stubbornly milled across the Hollywood & Highland ballroom Saturday evening. "People in the DGA, this light signal is ideal for you," an announcer told site visitors who used the occasion to get together with old pals and strike a deal or two. "A year ago we celebrated the 75th anniversary getting a show of spiritual length, old testament spiritual. Even James Cameron believe it is too extended, " emcee Kelsey Grammer told everybody else. "The Artist" ongoing its golden climb as Michel Hazanavicius needed home the guild's top prize. Nevertheless the other nominees also made their presence felt. Martin Scorsese received a standing ovation while he walked to the stage to just accept his nomination medallion for "Hugo." And before inviting "The Descendants" director Alexander Payne to the stage to just accept his DGA nom medallion, George Clooney personified each nommed director just like a Greek god, saving a distinctive deity for uncle. "I'm inside the service in the Greekiest of gods, Alexander 'Uranus' Payne," Clooney mentioned. "Of all the gods this humble servant has offered, Uranus remains the greatestthis is my final plea, pick Uranus!" Woodsy Allen recognized his nom medallion via video. "I am not there because I realize after i came I will have to mingle which i do not endure personally," he mentioned. "I'll be the only real guy there who wears tweed jackets with elbow patches and who's Jewish while not smart." Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

AFTRA board grants or loans merger with SAG

The pending marriage involving the Screen Stars Guild as well as the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists has moved a measure closer.AFTRA's national board has approved a merger proposal with 94% in the panel OKing this program, after SAG's board approved Friday evening.The proposal visits a election by SAG and AFTRA people beginning Feb. 27 with tabulation on March 30.The proposal is going to be shipped to 120,000 SAG people and 70,000 AFTRA people, who include stars, tv producers, DJs, entertainers and ballroom ballroom dancers. To feed, the referendum want a 60% approval margin from both orgs among votes cast.The completely new union will probably be referred to as SAG-AFTRA, should people approve the merger election.SAG people defeated merger plans in 1999 and 2003 while AFTRA people supported both. In 2003, the merged union might have been referred to as Alliance of Intl. Media Artists, who've been an problem inside the defeat.Key particulars in the proposal will unquestionably be suggested by SAG persident Ken Howard throughout Sunday's SAG Honours ceremony within the Shrine Auditorium in La. The SAG prexy typically gives an on-air speech through the kudocast.Howard and AFTRA leader Roberta Reardon result in the merger of those two unions their signature problem and received strong support from folks recent elections.The merger proposal was hammered in a nine-day meeting captured with the AFTRA and SAG Group for starters Union to work through particulars just like a title, governance, financing, membership needs and dues. That group had met five occasions since June.SAG's selected leadership remains centered lately by people meant for a merger, who contend the combined union may well be more effective and take off jurisdictional overlaps. Rivals within SAG, whose influence has decreased lately, contend that SAG should remain for stars only and assert the brand new union will face problems in attempting to mix the and retirement plans.SAG and AFTRA share jurisdiction on primetime TV. After a period of bitter disputes, AFTRA split from SAG on joint settling in 2008 and talked about another deal an entire year before SAG showed up in an accord -- leading to producers selecting to sign with AFTRA for virtually completely new shows.Howard indicates that individuals of SAG and AFTRA desire to mix unions to then resolve the dilemma of seeing pension and health contributions enter into separate SAG and AFTRA plans, which are operated by joint industry-union boards. Howard was handily re-selected with a second two-year term in September.When the recommended SAG-AFTRA merger pass, annual elections is really a factor of history while using contests happening every couple of years rather. This program is specific at mixing SAG's annual direct voting structure for a lot of offices together with other slots filled using AFTRA's national convention structure, held every couple of years with affiliates selected from our level."I applaud the AFTRA National Board for overwhelming approval from the historic merger package," Reardon mentioned following a approval. "The partnership we produced round the G1 was among collegiality and consensus that went into relaxing the inspiration for just about any new union. This course of action includes the thoughtful work and valuable perspectives from small , large areas countrywide of several working stars, broadcast professionals, recording artists together with other artists who all labored together in solidarity using the G1."Both boards made the decision with an oppossition statement inside the official ballot materials Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Friday Evening Lights' Matt Lauria Becomes an individual of curiosity

Matt Lauria Matt Lauria will guest-star inside an approaching episode of CBS' Person of curiosity, TVLine.com reviews. The Friday Evening Lights vet will portray a trader inside a major investment bank. He'll be Reese and Mr. Finch's person of curiosity-of-the-week in Episode 16, slated to air throughout February sweeps. See the relaxation of current day news The 27-year-old actor, who starred on Fox's short-were living The Chicago Code, recently guest-starred on Burn Notice and CSI. Person of curiosity airs Thursdays at 9/8c.

'Fringe' Star Joshua Jackson: Cancelation 'Might Not Be Death'

It's times like these that having Observers in our world would be really handy. One way or the other, looking into the future would put a lot of fans' fears at ease, now that "Fringe" faces the very serious threat of cancellation following its currently airing fourth season. At the Television Critics Association press tour earlier this month, Fox president Kevin Reilly confessed that the network loses "a lot of money on the show," and that Fox is "not in the business of losing money." Worrying comments indeed, so much so that members of the show's cast including Joshua Jackson, who plays Peter Bishop are preparing for the inevitable end. "My gut says that the head of Fox doesn't go on national television and says 'I'm not in the business of losing money' as a joke," Jackson laughed while speaking with MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival. Jackson, who's in Park City for his new movie "Lay the Favorite," believes that "Fringe" is just as strong quality-wise as it's ever been. But with the series in the midst of its all-time lowest ratings, the actor admitted that "Fringe" is now "in that awkward place of being on the bubble or under the bubble, as the case might be." But all hope is not lost, according to Jackson. "I think there's a possibility that if people just watched the show on the day and date, and if the numbers came back, [renewal] is a possibility," he said. "They've talked about maybe going off network with it, too. The TV landscape is a different place than it used to be, so [cancelation on Fox] might not be death." Jackson added that whether or not "Fringe" gets canceled, the only thing that matters to him "beyond the selfishness of not wanting to lose my job" is ensuring that there's enough time to finish the story. "The only thing that would piss me off about being canceled is if we brought people along for all these years and they've been so dedicated and really stuck with the show and we didn't finish it up," he said. To that end, Jackson said that there's still plenty of time to wrap up "Fringe" in this current season, given that they're only up to hour 16 of the fourth season's 22-episode order. "I don't know how many hours it would take to implement the [writers' end game], but we have plenty of hours left," he said. "I think if we found out [about the show's future] in the next several weeks, there would be no problem getting to what the ending is supposed to be." Do you think "Fringe" is on the cusp of cancellation? Tell us what you think in the comments section and on Twitter!

Guy Pearce Verifies His Role In 'Prometheus'

A lot mystery surrounding this "Prometheus" flick... just how much "Alien" DNA does it genuinely have? Which figures will live and that will die? Who'll make an incredible cameo? A lot of questions and thus many several weeks to mull them over in the end wait for a film's release on June 21. Additionally towards the recently-launched still of star Noomi Rapace all space-suited up and searching on in question, we'd just a little talk to actor Guy Pearce in the Golden Globes throughout that they confirmed that he's indeed within the film, if perhaps for any hot second or two. When requested about his experience on set, Pearce stated it had been everything we'd assume it might be, amazing and fantastic. "I am only [within the film] for any minute, however it would be a real recognition to utilize Ridley [Scott], to determine what happening,Inch he stated. "I believe Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron and everyone is going to do a very spectacular job." Before Pearce was taken from us to obtain settled into his chair, we requested him about the design of the film, whether or not this has got the old-fashioned "Alien" sheen in the late 70s or now. "A bit,Inch he accepted. "A bit.Inch Pearce, who is an extremely busy guy with almost a lot of projects on his plate, also says he will not maintain his "Hurt Locker" director Katherine Bigelow's film concerning the search for Osama Bin Laden. How lengthy will Pearce's character last in "Prometheus?" Inform us within the comments or on Twitter!