Scarlett Johansson Birthday: Actress Turns 27 What's Her Best Onscreen Role? (PHOTOS)

On November. 27, 1984, Scarlett Johansson was produced in NY City. Twenty-seven years later, she's one of the most popular stars in Hollywood, recognized for her be employed in well-received indies ('Ghost World,' 'Lost in Translation') additionally to major blockbusters ('Iron Guy 2'). She's been Woodsy Allen's muse three occasions, labored with Christopher Nolan and Michael Bay, in addition to won a Tony Award. Johansson also saw her marriage to Ryan Reynolds fizzle out -- though not before some unfortunate photo leaks. The bottom line is, she's had the Hollywood career from the actress two occasions her age, all before today. What's her finest onscreen moment? Will it be anything aside from 'Lost in Translation'? Johansson's use Woodsy Allen is wonderful (specifically in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and 'Ghost World' can be a caustic treat, but Johansson was not ever a lot better than in their breakout performance in Sofia Coppola's lyrical indie. Despite a Golden Globe nomination and BAFTA award win, Johansson wasn't nominated for top Actress within the Academy awards for 'Lost in Translation.' That's under at the quantity of Bill Murray losing that year to Sean "I am OVERACTING NOW" Penn in 'Mystic River,' but it's close. What's your chosen ScarJo role? Contemplate that although searching at her perfectly awesome red-colored-colored carpet photos. Happy Birthday, Scarlett Johansson See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Mark Kassen dancing with indie 'Stars'

KassenMark Kassen will find out why life is worth living in the indie "Stars" for LLeju Productions and Storyland Pictures. Kassen, most recently seen in "Puncture" with Chris Evans, plays the suicidal male lead opposite Vinessa Shaw, Kathryn Hahn, Tom Bower and Illeana Douglas. Derrick Borte directs from a script by Jim Janosky about a man who decides on his birthday to kill himself, but his disregard for life takes a turn en route to his demise. William Perkins will produce along with Borte and Scott Lochmus. LLeju is financing the production, currently under way in New Mexico. Kassen is repped by CAA. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

George Clooney Considered Suicide After Injuries on 'Syriana' Set

George Clooney appears to be all -- a effective movie career, an Oscar, visual appearance, a parade of lovely female friends.our editor recommendsMaking of 'The Descendants'Gotham Award Noms Visit 'The Descendants' and 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'New 'Descendants' Trailer Plays Up Reviews That Are Positive (Video)'The Descendants' Website Introduces the King FamilyGeorge Clooney Reveals About Stacy Keilbler, Box Office and Whoopee Cushions But existence hasn't been simple for the actor-director, who's around the giant screen within the Ides of March, that they also helmed, and then seems in Alexander Payne's The Descendants. PHOTOS: George Clooney's Career in Pictures In 2005, while filming Syriana -- the film that gained him his Oscar -- Clooney experienced a spine injuries while carrying out a stunt that left him in a lot discomfort he considered ending his existence. "I had been in a point where I figured, 'I can't exist such as this. I'm able to't really live,'" the actor told Moving Stone. "I had been laying inside a hospital mattress by having an IV during my arm, not able to maneuver, getting these head aches where it feels as though you're getting a stroke, as well as for a brief three-week period, I began to consider, 'I might have to make a move drastic relating to this.'" Clooney added he even considered an amount be the easiest method to get it done. PHOTOS: 'Descendants' Star and THR's Next Gen Class of 2011 "You begin to consider when it comes to, you don't wish to leave chaos, so use the garage, use the vehicle, start the engine," he stated. "It appears such as the best method of doing it, however i i never thought I'd make it happen. See, I had been inside a place where I had been trying to puzzle out how you can survive." Clooney then switched to alcohol to assist alleviate the discomfort and it has sincehad surgery, that has assisted, he still is affected with periodic head aches associated with the accident. Meanwhile, Clooney has high wants Descendants, by which he plays an indifferent husband and father of two women whose existence is switched upside-lower when his wife includes a boating accident. STORY:'The Descendants': Alexander Payne Goes Behind the curtain of George Clooney Pic "Whether it's not nominated for the best picture, I'll be shocked," he stated. "It's so good.Inch The Fox Searchlight movie opens November. 16. Related Subjects George Clooney The Descendants

Old Dog (Khyi rgan)

A Himalaya Audio & Visual Culture Communication production. (International sales: Himalaya Audio & Visual Culture Communication, Beijing.) Produced by Zhang Xianmin. Directed, written by Pema Tseden.With: Lochey, Drolma Kyab, Tamdrin Tso, Yanbum Gyal, Chokyong Gyal. (Tibetan dialogue)A father and son tussle over whether to sell the family's mastiff in "Old Dog," a spare but stealthily powerful tale set in contempo Tibet from local up-and-comer Pema Tseden. Flecked with Chekhovian melancholy but also welcome moments of humor, this skillfully lensed digital pic is a bit more critical of Chinese culture, in an oblique way, than Tseden's previous two features ("The Silent Holy Stones," "The Search"), but not so much as to impede its access to the international festival scene, where it's picked up a few awards already. Whether it will ever open at home remains to be seen. In the mountainous Chinese region of Qinghai, which covers part of what used to be Tibet, a young man named Gonpo (Drolma Kyab) rides his motorcycle from his sheep farm to what passes for a town in this rural region, followed by his Tibetan mastiff, a breed of dog that looks like a fluffed-up cross between a German shepherd and a St. Bernard. Gonpo has heard that the breed has become highly prized in urban China, so much so that Gonpo decides to pre-empt any potential dog-napping by selling the hound to a shady dealer. Afterwards, he gets drunk on the proceeds and sobers up at home, where his elderly father, Akku (Lochey), is furious that he sold the dog, whom Akku raised from puppyhood. Akku rides back to the town on his horse and manages, after considerable negotiation, to retrieve the dog, with some help from his relative, a local cop (Chokyong Gyal). Unfortunately for the poor mutt, this isn't the last time he'll suffer separation anxiety, as he duly gets stolen in the night, and Akku must go in search of him again. Meanwhile, at home it becomes clear there's tension brewing between Gonpo and his wife, who after three years of marriage still hasn't managed to conceive. Lensing by Sonthar Gyal, who recently helmed "The Sun-Beaten Path," deliberately refrains from offering any closeups, so almost all the action unfolds at a distance from the camera, which creates a slightly stiff, theatrical feeling. That said, what the lensing loses in intimacy it gains in sweep and scope, so that the spectacular mountain landscape and the filthy, cruddy-looking township virtually become characters in their own right. Despite flashes of gentle, naturalistic humor, a sense of foreboding is pervasive; even so, the bleak last scene still comes as a shock. Thesping from a mix of pro and non-pro thesps is fine, and the pacing is fairly sprightly given that so much of the pic consists of watching people walking, driving or riding horses within static frames. Other tech credits are functional without being outstanding in any way.Camera (color, HD), Sonthar Gyal; editor, Sangye Bhum; production designer, Gyal; sound, Dula Tserang. Reviewed at London Film Festival (World Cinema), Oct. 19, 2011. (Also in Vancouver, Vladivostok, Hong Kong film festivals.) Running time: 88 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Nick Junior. crafting mother-oriented content

Nickelodeon is developing a primetime programming block for Nick Junior., specific at moms and starting next fall. NickMom will air seven nights each week at 9 o'clock, using the two hrs of content repeated at 11. The programming will be a consequence of a lot more than 30 comedy, talkshow and gameshow projects presently in development and customized to moms. Among individuals with projects that'll be considered for NickMom are Eyeworks USA ("The Greatest Loser") Madeleine Smithberg ("The Daily Show With Jon Stewart"), Annabelle Gurwitch ("Dinner along with a Movie") and Hugh Fink ("The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson"). General Mills and Reckitt Benckiser have previously signed on as sponsors for NickMom, which is ad-supported while Nick Junior.'s kid-oriented content remains ad-free. Nick Junior. reaches 73 million homes. Though NickMom does not premiere around the smallscreen until the coming year, its companion website will launch Monday. Based on Nickelodeon research via Nielsen, one-4th of moms today viewed Nickelodeon programs as children. "Present day moms who was raised with Nickelodeon possess a restored relationship around through their kids, so we have something on their behalf as grown ups in NickMom," Nickelodeon Systems prexy Cyma Zarghami stated. "This generation of moms is extremely diverse from anyone before it, and that we are extremely excited to provide a destination that's unique in present day entertainment landscape with content that taps into Nickelodeon's comedy DNA." Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Will The Academy Consider Brian Grazer?

Right now, the Academy Awards are still in disarray, but a name that is making the rounds is Brian Grazer as a potential replacement for Brett Ratner. This is unconfirmed and might have made more sense when Eddie Murphy was still the host. Grazer partners in Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard, and he just produced Tower Heist, the Ratner-directed film that stars Murphy. Developing.

Courage (Wymyk)

A Best Film discharge of an Opus Film production using the support from the Polish Film Institute, Ekran. Created by Piotr Dzieciol, Lukasz Dzieciol. Directed by Greg Zglinski. Script, Janusz Marganski, Zglinski.With: Robert Wieckiwicz, Lukasz Simlat, Gabriela Muskala, Marian Dziedziel, Karolina Kominek, Anna Tomaszewska.A brother or sister competition along with a random act of savagery supply the backdrop for Polish director Greg Zglinski to understand more about primal styles of cowardice, guilt and redemption in "Courage," his tightly scripted follow-as much as his 2004 debut, "One Lengthy Winter Without Fire." A contemporary-day undertake the storyline of Cain and Abel employing a couple of Polish cinema's toughest-working male stars, this precisely lensed moral tale might be a tad heavy-handed for theatrical play offshore. Still, it will excite lots of discussion around the fest circuit. (Belgium) Essaying another kind of tortured soul compared to one he plays in Polish Oscar submission "In Darkness," Robert Wieckiwicz is Fred, a tough, unschooled sort who handles his ailing father's Internet empire inside a quiet suburb of Lodz and resents his college-educated more youthful brother, Jurek (Lukasz Simlat), who lately came back in the U.S. packed with ambitious suggestions for the organization. Feeling he has drawn a lot more than his great amount of parental-care duty, Fred also feels bitter about Jurek's two hyperactive kids, since he has not had the opportunity to possess a child together with his hairstylist wife, Viola (Gabriela Muskala, "Winter"). Fred attempts to gain top of the hands, rudely disregarding overtures in the corporate types Jurek is relationship, and having a panic attack his brother with daredevil driving. Nevertheless, widower Jurek has got the sympathies of the snobbish and intimidating parents (Marian Dziedziel, and Anna Tomaszewska) as well as individuals of maternal Viola, who yearns to look after her nephew and niece, departing Fred feeling angry and isolated. Because the antagonistic brothers and sisters go ahead and take train to town in the 20-minute mark, a gang of hooligans boards and harasses a youthful lady (Karolina Kominek). Although Fred informs Jurek to not become involved, the more youthful guy attempts to intervene and it is beaten for his troubles. Slow to react and reluctant when confronted with the youths' violence, Fred does not save his brother from a level worse fate. Following the fast-paced opening section, which economically determines the brothers' antipathy as well as other discontents, the pic manages to lose one type of tension while having fun with another: When will Fred's family notice his new, more embarrassing type of impotence? As the script, co-compiled by Janusz Marganski and Zglinski, cleverly helps make the Internet greater than a mere backdrop towards the story, another story threads appear as less credible, particularly Fred's single-handed searching for from the crooks. Throughout the seven years since he helmed his first feature, Zglinski directed numerous instances of Polish TV serials, which possibly makes up about his inclination to extract slightly overstated performances from his thesps. His positioning from the camera is a little subtler, with angles and arrangements frequently indicating a lot more than the actors' words. Tech credits are solid, particularly production design, as variations in clothing and vehicle types instantly telegraph the gulf between your brothers' sensibilities. Kudos will also be because of the propulsive, moderately used score by Jacek Grudzien and Mariusz Ziemba. Pic nabbed a unique jury prize as well as an actor jerk for Wieckiwicz in the recent Warsaw fest.Camera (color), Witold Plociennik editor, Leszek Starzynski music, Jacek Grudzien, Mariusz Ziemba production designer, Elwira Pluta costume designer, Malgorzata Zacharska seem (Dolby Digital Surround EX), Michal Kosterkiewicz. Examined on DVD, Chicago, November. 2, 2012. (In Warsaw Film Festival -- competing Busan Film Festival -- Expensive Forward.) Running time: 83 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

TV Rankings: 'X Factor' Gives Fox Demo Win, 'Modern Family' Tops Wednesday

Fox Fox's lately restored X Factor didn't top its previous full of grown ups 18 to 49, however it did provide the network a high-scoring 3.9 rating for that evening, calculating 11.5 million audiences for that evening. Besting other series within the demo and total audiences was Modern Family. A brand new episode from the ABC comedy capped the evening in grown ups 18 to 49 having a 5.6 rating (a season low) along with a 13.two million audiences. Revenge (3.), The Center (2.7), Suburgatory (3.1) and Happy Being (3.5) also published strong leads to the demo, using the later tying a set high set a week ago. STORY: 'The X Factor' Restored for Second Season CBS won the evening in audiences, edging out Fox's X Factor block with 11.8 million for that evening along with a 3.3 within the demo. Criminal Minds worked out perfect for the network, having a 3.6 rating. NBC drawn single.5 within the demo, also placing 4th in audiences with six million for that evening, as the CW ongoing its Tuesday pairing of the Ringer repeat and America's Next Top Model towards the tune of just one.5 million along with a .6 in grown ups. Fox - 3.9 - X Factor: 11.5 million, 3.9 ABC - 3.5 - The Center: 9.3 million, 2.9 - Suburgatory: 8.5 million, 3.1 - Modern Family (R): 13.two million, 5.6 - Happy Being: 7.9 million, 3.5 - Revenge: 8.six million, 2.9 CBS - 3.3 - Survivor: South Off-shore: 11.9 million, 3.5 - Criminal Minds (R): 12.8 million, 3.6 - CSI: 10.six million, 2.7 NBC - 1.5 Up Through The Night: 4.7 million, 1.8 Up Through The Night (R): 3.4 million, 1.2 - Harry's Law: 7.a million, 1.1 - Law & Order: SVU: 7. million, 2. CW - .6 - Ringer (R): 1.two million, .4 - America's Next Top Model: 1.8 million, .8 TV Rankings

'Harry Potter' DVD Exclusive: J.K. Rowling And The Women Of 'Potter'

It's hard to argue that one of the most badass breakout characters in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is Professor Minerva McGonagall. And author J.K. Rowling fought to keep it that way. Fans who have seen the movie (and read the book) know that there's a pretty big showdown between McGonagall and Professor Snape about halfway through the story. According to Rowling, an early draft of Steve Kloves' script had Harry Potter facing off against Snape instead of McGonagall. That was not something she was going to allow to happen. "I don't like the marginalization of women when the fighting breaks out. We get to fight too. I really wanted that," she explained in an exclusive MTV News sneak peek at a featurette from the "Deathly Hallows Part 2" Blu-ray and DVD, in stores on November 11. "In the book, Minerva McGonagall is the one who does it and for me it was very important that she did that." For Rowling, it was important that McGonagall got her moment in the spotlight. Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the films, said that seeing McGonagall show off her true strength was one of her favorite parts of the movie. "Teachers have been so repressed in how they see Hogwarts. Obviously from its new sort of ruling, you can see that they're just itching for their fight back against evil and I love that. Professor McGonagall, she just completely shows what she's made of," Wright said. "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" hits DVD and Blu-Ray on November 11. Are you glad McGonagall got her big battle scene against Snape? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!