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Trade Roughage 1/18/08

Under discussion:
Atonement (2007)
Australia (2008)
27 Dresses (2008)
Cloverfield (2008)
Justice League (2009)

Under discussion:

Atonement (2007)

Australia (2008)

27 Dresses (2008)

Cloverfield (2008)

Justice League (2009)

Certainly the biggest news of the past 24 hours is the DGA’s three-year deal with the AMPTP, which could hopefully lead to a similar deal for the WGA, thereby ending the writer’s strike. It wasn’t that surprising, though, considering directors are used to walking in and not only finishing up but also taking the most credit for something begun by writers. I’m not actually sure if any of the DGA’s deal was based on outlines first made by the WGA, but a lot of times in Hollywood the writer’s original work is unrecognizable in the end product. Anne Thompson has the WGA’s statement regarding the DGA agreement here.
Meanwhile the writer’s strike is affecting the UK. Look for the British to retaliate by ensuring Atonement wins every one of the BAFTA awards (including Best Animated Film). Imagine how hard-hit Hollywood will be without the ability to market their films with “BAFTA Winner” plastered on posters and in TV ads.
Meanwhile the writer’s strike is also affecting Australia, which is being blamed more heavily than the writer’s strike for Warner Bros.’ decision to pull the plug on the Justice League movie. Look for Oz to retaliate by ensuring that Baz Luhrman’s Australia wins every one of the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards, which would probably happen anyway.
Apparently it’s a big deal that Cloverfield and 27 Dresses are going head to head at the box office this weekend. It seems the trades want this to be about the boys’ movie versus the girls’ movie, but all the girls I know are going to see the monster movie. Maybe I don’t know the right kind of girls?