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Will Globes’ $6 Mil Be Worth It to Comcast?

Roger Friedman
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You have to wonder what NBC Universal’s new owner, Comcast, think about the $6 million NBC pay for the TV rights to the Golden Globes. Will the new owners think it’s worth it, especially after the Conan O’Brien debacle?

Every year, NBC pays the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. — 80 people whom no one’s ever heard of — $6 million to license the Golden Globes show. The HFPA controls everything — who sits where, who attends and, of course, who wins.

This year, however, the HFPA isn’t delivering its biggest “gets” of recent years, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, even though the couple has been used in ads on NBC for the event.

Comcast will be looking closely at the arrangement. For one thing, a study of the HFPA’s most recent tax filing shows that the group has benefited financially very nicely from NBC’s largesse. The HFPA claims a whopping $15.8 million now in total assets.

The group gave away $1.3 million in donations to film groups in 2008. On the other hand, their expenses for 2008 came to $3.6 million, including just over $722,000 in travel. This is especially noteworthy since the members of the HFPA are flown all over the place by the studios and treated like visiting royalty. They also claim a $95,000 expense for “meetings and press conferences.” The HFPA is famous for their special press conferences with movie casts and directors at which they get their pictures taken with stars.

Other expenses listed include the usual mystifying $55,000 for “online research”, $56,000 for unspecified “outside services” and $50,000 for “entertainment.”

Meanwhile, as usual, the HFPA’s leaders, party animals Phil Berk (in reality, a schoolteacher and bridge player’from the Valley) and his sidekick Munawar Hosain made the scene at yesterday’s BAFTA tea at the Beverly Hilton. Berk was in deep conversations with “Hurt Locker” writer Mark Boal, while he and Hosain stuck close to the buffet table.

McCartney, Jane Fonda Meet the Basterds

Roger Friedman
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Quentin Tarantino and his Basterds made quite a splash on Saturday afternoon.

The whole gang — Tarantino, Eli Roth, Golden Globe nominee Christoph Waltz, producer Lawrence Bender – appeared at BAFTA/LA’s annual afternoon tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel and wowed the crowd.

Among the superstars who were eager to meet them: both Sir Paul McCartney (with pretty gf Nancy Shevell) and Jane Fonda, who was introduced to Sir Paul by her bf Richard Perry, McCartney’s longtime pal and sometime record producer.

Pretty cool.

Also around the room were Jacqueline Bisset, Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore, Jason Reitman, Christian McKay, Jeremy Renner, Joan Collins and hubby Percy Gibson, all of the great supporting cast from “The Office,” Anna Kendrick from “Up in the Air” — who was too nervous to meet Fonda, as well as Bob Balaban, Evan Handler (from “Californication”), Peter Jacobson (of “House” fame), and pop star/soap star Rick Springfield.

“Precious” director Lee Daniels and “Single Man” director Tom Ford nibbled on scones and talked about doing a project together.

But it was McCartney who caused the biggest stir as he and Shevell mixed and mingled. McCartney talked about making his brilliant “Fireman” album with Tarantino, Fonda, et al., explaining that when he laid down the tracks he had no lyrics. “I wanted to make it like improvisational theater or filmmaking,” he said. He even did that with the album’s centerpiece song, “Sing the Changes,” which stands up to his best work.

Tarantino immediately quizzed McCartney about his lyrics, citing the famous line from “Hey Jude”: “The movement you need is on your shoulder.” McCartney was impressed. “It was just a throwaway line,” he told Tarantino.

McCartney is in town for his Golden Globe-nominated song, “I Want to Come Home,” but but he knows it’s an uphill battle. The song is from Miramax’s last release, “Everybody’s Fine.”

“They told me there won’t be any support, it’s the last Miramax release, all of that,” he said. “The songs do as well as the movie.” But he’s still out there, promoting it because the song is lovely and vintage McCartney.

Meantime, I will never forget the look on Eli Roth’s face when he bounded up to say hello to Tarantino, not realizing the “Inglourious Basterds” director was talking to Fonda and McCartney. I heard out one of ear, “Whoops! Jane Fonda” and his eyes got as big as saucers. In no time, Fonda had both Tarantino and Roth enthralled. Maybe they’ll write a script for her. She could play Diane Kruger’s mother in the “Basterds” prequel!

As for McCartney and Shevell, they make a nice couple, much better than the Beatles’ former romantic entanglement. And listen to this: Just prior to the BAFTA/LA tea, the couple had lunch with Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach, and Joe Walsh and his wife, Marjorie (Bach’s sister).

Later I ran into Tribeca/De Niro producer Jane Rosenthal at another swellish party with lots of solid gold movie stars (Barbra Streisand, etc). Don’t ask. “Jane,” I said, “I’m glad you’re here. No one will ever believe these stories. In New York, all we have are TV commentators.” Rosenthal agreed, and added one caveat: Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese.

Oh yeah. Them!

Golden Globes Don’t Always Predict Oscars

Roger Friedman
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Last year, the Golden Globes went to…Sally Hawkins…Colin Farrell…”Vicky Cristina Barcelona”…farrell colin globes 09 200x300 Golden Globes Dont Always Predict Oscars

None of them received Academy Awards subsequently. They weren’t even nominated for Oscars.

So much for the Golden Globes as Oscar predictors.

More awards coverage

One thing about 2008: “Slumdog Millionaire” was a slam dunk choice. There’s no such thing this year. If the Globes choose “Avatar” for Best Picture, the feeling is that will be that. The Oscar will go to either “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” or “Up in the Air.”

You may recall that last year the Globe went to Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler.” Sean Penn won the Oscar for “Milk.”

Kate Winslet got two Globes last year. All eyes will be on Sandra Bullock now to see if she can pull that off, too.

The Globes were even further off in 2007. They gave awards for Best Picture to “Atonement” and “Sweeney Todd.” They were never heard from again. They also gave awards to Julie Christie and Johnny Depp, who got nada from the Academy. The Globes did give prizes to Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard, who wound up winning Oscars. But they also delivered a Best Director statue to Julian Schabel, who lost the Oscar to the Coen Bros.

Their best pictures in 2006? “Babel” and “Dreamgirls.” Are you getting the picture now? That was also the year they handed prizes to Sacha Baron Cohen for “Borat” and Eddie Murphy for “Dreamgirls.”

In the end, it may be better to duck or give back the Globe or wave away the camera when a name is called if you want an Oscar!

Conan: Settlement is $35 Mil, Plus Up to $50 Mil

Roger Friedman
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obrien conan 200x200 Conan: Settlement is $35 Mil, Plus Up to $50 MilI’m hearing the total buyout amount for Conan O’Brien will be about $35 million — but that’s just for him.

The actual total will be much higher — around $50 million. The extra $15 million would cover Conan’s employees, many of whom are not covered by contracts or unions but moved to Los Angeles from New York with no guarantees.

Sources say the deal, however, is not signed and the bickering continues. What’s it all about? Those employees. Sources say NBC is not keen to pay all those bills and wants O’Brien to take care of his people himself — even though it’s the responsibility of NBC/GE/Comcast.

At the same time, sources say that previous reports about how O’Brien’s contract is being handled are incorrect. One report suggested that Conan’s payout would be offset by any money he signed for with his next employer — perhaps Fox. But sources insist that there will be no offset, and O’Brien will keep everything from the settlement and be free to earn whatever he can in the future.

In the meantime, Conan looks like he’s trotting out the big-gun celebrities this coming month. Many of them — like Tom Hanks and Martin Scorsese – are represented by 42West, the powerhouse PR firm that works for O’Brien too. If Conan’s ending his “Tonight Show” run, he’s going to do it with enormous ratings.

Kathryn Bigelow Beats Her Ex at the Critics’ Choice Awards

Roger Friedman
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bigelow kathryn 341 Kathryn Bigelow Beats Her Ex at the Critics Choice Awards“Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow beat her ex-husband last night.

Bigelow won best director and best picture for “The Hurt Locker” at the Critics’ Choice Awards, thus trouncing her ex-husband James Cameron and his computer-generated “Avatar.”

In what is the most telling awards show pre-Academy Awards, the Critics’ Choice Awards on VH1 often accurately predicts the Oscar. Last night at the Hollywood Palladium, the well-produced two-hour telecast was the kick-off for awards season.

The big winners were Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart,”’ a tie between Meryl Streep (for “Julie & Julia”) and Sandra Bullock (”The Blind Side”), Mo’Nique (”Precious”), and Christoph Waltz (”Inglourious Basterds”).

What we really learned: “Avatar” is a stunning technical achievement. But because it has a terrible screenplay and no acting, the Cameron spectacle is destined only for technical awards. Even if the Hollywood Foreign Press succumbs to those charms on Sunday night, “Avatar” will not be a player for best picture at the Oscars.

Streep, who has not won an Oscar in 27 years, told me after she came off stage last night: “I am really surprised. And I’m happy! I am so happy!”

Bullock was too, and really was funny as she accepted. She may not win anything else this season, but she’s definitely a popular choice and a class act.

After the show, Waltz — an Austrian actor working in Germany and the U.K. who was plucked from obscurity by Quentin Tarantino — was aglow. He’s also still a little disbelieving that all this is happening. “It’s amazing,” he said several times.

One pleasant moment from the Critics’ Choice: Mo’Nique, who made a lovely and funny speech, and was dressed beautifully. After having an itchy-scratchy relationship with press and publicity over “Precious,” the BET talk show host now looks to be on track for her many upcoming accolades. Her husband told her to “leave it on the floor,” an expression which may become the key phrase of 2010.

Meanwhile, absent from the proceedings last night: George Clooney. Perhaps sensing that Bridges was going to win, Clooney spent the day working on his Haiti telethon — which this column announced exclusively on Thursday morning. Clooney spent Friday night meeting with Wyclef Jean, who flew directly from the’Dominican Republic to Los Angeles after leaving Haiti Friday morning.

“George is exhausted. He’s been on the phone with everyone from Sylvester Stallone to Brad Pitt,” a friend told me. “Mostly he had to see Wyclef to be part of the show. He doesn’t want this to be just white Hollywood for Haiti. He wants everyone.”

Knowing Clooney, he’ll get them, too.

Shirley MacLaine: Judi Dench Stole My Hair

Roger Friedman
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If we gave royal citations in this country. the word Dame would go before Shirley MacLaine. So Dame MacLaine gave a very humorous toast yesterday to “Nine” director Rob Marshall at Cecconi’s on Melrose.

“No thanks to Judi Dench, who stole my part, and my hair!” MacLaine proclaimed to an invited crowd of 20 or so Marshall fans.

Maybe MacLaine had had a sip of the sponsor drink, Sin, which is an energizer. Everyone got a gift bag with Sin and its companion, Serenity, a calmer-downer for the afternoon.

Among the guests: Frances Fisher, Salome Jens, Bob Balaban, Susie Blakeley, Michael Keaton and Annette O’Toole, Candy Clark, famed record producer Richard Perry who’s been dating Jane Fonda since last summer.

“Are the two of you getting married?” MacLaine asked Perry over lunch. This reporter interjected: “Shirley MacLaine, you are the queen of not being married.”

Dame Shirley shot back: “I was married for 35 years. I stayed married so I couldn’t marry anyone else!”

MacLaine also said she’d consider bringing her one-woman show back to Broadway, but she doesn’t want to do eight shows a week, and she doesn’t want to go east of Fifth Avenue. Otherwise, it’s a done deal!

And don’t be surprised if “Nine” makes a resurgence in the awards categories. Even though the sophisticated musical has had trouble selling tickets, Hollywood loves it. The actors love it. The Screen Actors Guild membership gave it a best ensemble nomination for a reason. The “Nine” performers are much admired by their colleagues!

Lindsay Lohan Is Alive and Well, Thanks

Roger Friedman
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Lindsay Lohan? She’s alive and well, thanks. And not getting into any trouble. Right now.

I ran into Lindsay last night at the New York Times annual soiree at the Chateau Marmont penthouse. She came with mom Dina and sister Ali, who’s grown about a foot since’I saw her last.

Lindsay was in fine form, as were all the Lohans. Hotel owner Andre Balazs, hobbling around on a cane (he broke his toe, he said, kicking furniture) escorted them around a crowd that seemed like all of Hollywood crammed into one room.

Among the notables: Jane Fonda and Richard Perry, Jane’s actor son Troy Garity and his beautiful wife Simone, Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, Anna Kendrick from “Up in the Air,” Adam Lambert of “American Idol” fame, Richard Kind, Bob and Ava Shaye, Marisa Tomei, all of Meryl Streep’s kids, the “Precious” gang, Chloe Sevigny, Ryan Kavanagh, Harvey Weinstein, “Basterds”’Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth, Lawrence Bender, Diane Kruger, BJ Novak, Christoph Waltz, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski, Jeff Bridges, Laura Bickford, Nick Jarecki, Zoe Saldana (not blue’but beautiful),’ producer Celine Rattray (who’s going to work for Peter Guber), as well as the Times’ Lynn Hirschberg, who plans the party each year.

And just FYI: Paul McCartney’s in town. He’s making the rounds because his song from “Everybody’s Fine” — “I Want to Come Home” — is nominated for a bunch of awards. When Sir Paul’s present, everything gets a little more hectic! Also, Sir Paul is hard at work on his animated feature, “High in the Clouds,” for Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Pictures.

As for Lindsay: She was sipping soda, looked great, was clear as a bell. Maybe 2010 will be the year of La Lohan. Fingers crossed.

Conan Exit: Bloggers’ Numbers Wrong

Roger Friedman
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One blogger insists it’s $40 million. Another says $30 million.

“They are each wrong,” an insider tells me about Conan O’Brien’s settlement with NBC. “And nothing is signed. There is still no agreement.”

But there will be some announcement today, Saturday, about O’Brien’s divorce from NBC. The true number will never be disclosed no matter who insists they have it right. “It’s going to remain confidential,” observes my source. “Also, it’s going to include deals for the staff.” Many of them will return to New York. NBC is going to be paying a lot of relocating fees. Again.

As I reported from the beginning, O’Brien had a lot of support inside NBC from the New York side. Sources confirmed for me that Lorne Michaels, who’s had his own spats with the network over the last 35 years, went to the mat for Conan. Michaels, like a lot of people, thought Conan got a raw deal.

In the end, the West Coast studio people won out over the East Coast cogniscenti. And now, “you have to believe Comcast is going to get very involved,” says a source. It could well mean the end of Jeff Zucker, whose three-year contract could be bought out. What’s happened at NBC is chaos.

Still, just about everyone I spoke to is shocked by comments by NBC’s usually sanguine Dick Ebersol in the New York Times about Conan. Ebersol, another NBC lifer, took the company’s side and was pretty brutal to O’Brien on the record. “This was from the man who just announced NBC Sports was planning to lose $200 million on the Olympics,” crowed a critic to me last night. “That’s hilarious.”

Related: O’Brien’s NBC departure leaves bits behind

Clooney Telethon Story: Blog Fodder

Roger Friedman
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We told you yesterday morning exclusively about George Clooney’s Haiti telethon.

It’s almost laughable then how so many blogs simply lifted the story without credit. Chief among them was Sharon Waxman’s The Wrap. The blog loves to take stories that don’t belong to them.

This is a weird new form of non-journalism. After all, it was Clooney who told this reporter directly about the telethon at the “Up in the Air” dinner in New York. Waxman (and those who followed her lead) just ignored this.

Clooney, of course, I can also tell you (read this carefully Sharon) is getting all his “Oceans Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen” pals to join him starting with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. Expect Wyclef Jean, who’s doing amazing work down in Haiti right now, to return for the telethon with his band including cousin Jerry Duplessis who’s with him in Port au Prince trying to help survivors.

Wyclef once had a bit hit called “Somebody Call 911.” Indeed. Now it’s “Text 501501″ with the word YELE. It will save lives.

How NBC Burned Not Just Conan But His Staff

Roger Friedman
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It’ s not just Conan O’Brien who gets the shaft in NBC’s late-night debacle. It’s his entire staff, too.

For four years the Conan staff knew their jobs in New York would end eventually, and they had to make the decision whether to move to Los Angeles.

They did, selling houses and uprooting kids from schools.

Now they’ll have to decide if they should stay or return. My guess is they will try and exit the West Coast and return to the real world. Hollywood, as usual, has turned out to be a fantasy.

“Conan spent most of last weekend with the families and staff,” an insider told me yesterday. “Reassuring them.”

Indeed, much of the negotiating going on between Team Conan and NBC is what to do about all these people.

The only member of the New York team who didn’t join the new show was bandleader Max Weinberg. He stayed with Bruce Springsteen, who went on tour. You can pretty much guess we’ll never see The Boss on “The Tonight Show” again in this lifetime. But of course, Bruce has always been a better fit on David Letterman.

The whole experience no doubt will put a chill through the staff of ABC’s “All My Children.” They were also forced to decide on a move to Los Angeles this winter. Everyone can learn a lesson from this experience: Never trust a network, despite a guarantee. In Hollywood, contracts mean very little.

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