The WGA has announced new interim agreements with The Film Department and Intermedia. The deals are similar to agreements the WGA recently reached with RKO Productions Inc, Lionsgate, Marvel Studios, Yari Film Group, Anonymous Content/Overt Operations, The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films, and Worldwide Pants. This is all I can manage to post today.

Just thought I'd let you know that the crew of New Adventures of Old Christine just got checks of $1,000.  The card said: "To Our Old Christine Friends:  We miss you and hope we'll be together soon.  Keep the faith.  With love from, The Writers, The Actors, The Director." The Christmas gift was also nice: a Patagonia parka. As an insider told me, "While none of this makes up for the hardship of the strike, I'm proud to be working for a showrunner who shows such generosity, even when her show hasn't yet become a big hit. And Julia Louis Dreyfus was on the picket line the very first day. She even went to that Desperate Housewives location shoot and helped disrupt Eva Longoria's scene."

Inbetween sneezing and sniffling and gulping Theraflu, I've been told that the WGA-mogul negotiations get a kick-start on Friday when Peter Chernin returns from London and rejoins the talks in person. He's also cancelled his Super Bowl tickets for Sunday in order to stay in town. I can't post a lot today because I'm flu-ish. Stay tuned. 

Trying to rally today. If not, then tomorrow. I'm so sorry.

Let me knock down that rumor making the rounds that Jeff Berg is supposedly leaving ICM on April 15th as far as any operating capacity is concerned and will just stay on the board. Sources tell me that not only does Berg have a long-term contract that continues for many years and is focused on the long-term strategy with Chris Silbermann, who manages most of the day-to-day. Berg also just reinvested in the tenpercentery and is now one of its significant owners once again (after earlier cashing out). "This rumor is just totally outrageous and absolutely untrue," I'm told. It's no secret that ICM has suffered big losses and staff changes -- but post-strike all the big agencies will shrink considerably. And while there was earlier merger talk between ICM and UTA, there's nothing going on now.

"Things are looking very good," I'm told.

Start your engines, agents, because this is a prime project to slot in one of your many out-of-work directors. I have no doubt that Universal will find another helmer by the end of the week after Mark Romanek quit Universal's The Wolfman. That's right, quit. "He just blew the opportunity of a lifetime, which is mind-boggling," an insider tells me. The commercial and video director did the well received but small budget One Hour Photo and made the step up to a big studio pic with a budget of $100 mil (but the cost is only $85M to Uni because of the UK rebate). But then Romanek decided he couldn't make the film with just that dough. "He's a purist, an artiste, an exquisite craftsman, but he just had a budget schedule he couldn't accomodate," an insider explains. Talk about career suicide.

Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan, Allyson Sereboff, Diana Paschal
Creative: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Dean Alioto
Technical: Zachary Mortensen, Ghost Robot-Tripod, Scott Beardslee, Antonio Arroyo, Allyson Sereboff Roman Martynyuk, TCS (camera equipment), Dean Alioto, Robert Campbell, Chad Carter, Clint Bennett
Special Thanks: Galit and Michael Gold, Russo’s Avenue B Pizzeria
Music: Anthony MarinelliThis is the latest of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Cox, Nicole Ansari
Creative: George Hickenlooper, Alan Sereboff, Jill Kushner, Dean Alioto
Technical: Zachary Mortensen, Michael Simmonds, Antonio Arroyo, Allyson Sereboff, Roman Martynyuk, TCS (camera equipment), Bravo Studios (Location), Eclectic Encore (Props), Dean Alioto, Chris Burns, Robert Campbell, Chad Carter, Clint Bennett
Music: Anthony MarinelliThis is the latest of the Writers Guild Of America member-conceived Internet videos for Project "Speechless" featuring A-list Screen Actors Guild talent. For the first time in the TV and movie industry, high-profile SAG actors are together taking their talents directly and exclusively to the Internet, the very medium which is at the center of the current WGA labor strike against the Alliance Of Motion Picture & Television Producers. The project, conceived by director/writer George Hickenlooper and writer Alan Sereboff, made its exclusive weekend debut here on my Deadline Hollywood Daily with 11 videos. The "Speechless" campaign now debuts on its new site, SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com, which will be adding new videos every day in both high-res and low-res versions.

There was a status conference in the Pellicano case this morning. Several things were discussed: disgraced entertainment attorney Terry Christensen's motion to stay the case or to continue the trial was denied as well as his request to dismiss his indictment. So, as of right now, the trial of the Hollywood private investigator known as The Pelican will start on February 27th as planned. The feds said they expected to take 5 to 6 weeks to present evidence. The feeling is that the total length of the trial would be 9 to 10 weeks. Meanwhile, Anthony continues to sit in jail until trial.

EXCLUSIVE: I'm told that Terry Semel wants back in the movie biz in a big way. His pals know he's been working on something big behind the scenes. "I'm looking at everything," Semel is saying privately. But now I can report that the former Warner Bros co-chairman who failed at Yahoo! is actively considering two possibilities for a Hollywood re-entry via New Line Cinema or MGM. I've heard that Semel is seriously kicking the tires at New Line and has already had a confab with Time Warner about it. (One source told me Semel may partner with Arnon Milchan on it.) Meanwhile, New Line's co-founders and current toppers Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne had that meeting on Wednesday with Jeff Bewkes I reported about last week. (See my previous, SOURCES: Bob Shaye's New Line Contract Won't Be Renewed By Time Warner Boss.) Hollywood is eagerly anticipating the announcement that the embattled pair's been pink-slipped since Bewkes has wisely decided not to renew their contracts expiring this year. As for MGM, you may remember that Semel was seriously thinking of heading that beleaguered studio back in 1995 when Ron Perelman was thinking of making a run at it. Look, Semel already has lots of money, so this isn't about that. (Not only was his Warner Bros executive compensation package so full of generous stock options that he was raking in a lot more than Jerry Levin, the head of parent company Time Warner at the time. But also Semel's Yahoo! shares and option gains made his six years at the helm worth $528 million. See my previous: Terry Semel Hoisted On His Petard.) His friends just think Semel now wants to show that there are second acts for Hollywood moguls. Meanwhile, I'd be surprised if Bewkes jettisons New Line since there are some profitable upcoming projects, especially The Hobbit 1 and The Hobbit 2 produced by Lord Of the Rings-meister Peter Jackson. On the other hand, if Time Warner can get as much as $2 billion for the studio, well, anything's possible.    

SUNDAY AM: I just got off the phone with Harvey Weinstein whose Weinstein Co is co-distributing Rambo with Lionsgate, and he's remarkably bullish on Sly Stallone's prospects especially overseas. Harv estimated that Rambo, which took in $18.1 mil from 2,751 theaters its opening weekend, "will end up doing $50 mil here and $100M to $150M foreign. That's what usually happens since this franchise is really big overseas." I bet the pic doesn't even see $45 mil domestic and drops with a thud next weekend. Of course, this is just idle chatter from Harv because he doesn't own Rambo: Avi Lerner and his company, Nu Image, do and produced the film. They licensed domestic rights to Lionsgate and LGF partnered with TWC.  Nu Image controls the international rights and neither TWC nor LGF have any dibs
on the foreign revenue. So it's great to say that there's a ton of international potential on the film but it does not benefit LGF nor TWC one bit. But that doesn't stop Harv who is already talking sequel and even has a plot in mind "bringing the character back to the United States". Rambo in a wheelchair, I asked? (Given that Sly at age 61 is ridiculously old to still be an action hero.) Harvey laughed and said, "I like the idea of an older guy kicking ass. Maybe it's because I'm older, too." (Weinstein turns 56 this March.)  

Granted, Rambo's "Hard R" rating, complete with disgustingly violent TV ads, couldn't best Fox's No. 1 Meet The Spartans send-up which was only PG-13 rated. Both pics were aimed at the same audiences -- young males -- and both did better than expected during this box office weekend before the Super Bowl when guys go through playoff withdrawal. The send-up of 300 made $18.7 mil from 2,605 venues, helping Fox boast a total four movies in this weekend's Top 10. And this weekend Fox 2000 had its first $200 million movie and Fox Searchlight its first $100 million movie. Is Fox studios kickin' ass or what?

Not only did Fox's 27 Dresses again prove great counter-programming its 2nd weekend out for third place (another $13.6 mil from 3,074 runs for a new cume of $45.3 mil), but do did Fox Searchlight's Juno for the very same reason. Even after 8 weekend in release, the 6th place newly Oscar-nominated teen dramedy added another $10.3 mil from 2,436 plays to cross the all-important $100 mil mark (for a cume of $100.1 mil, to be exact). Meanwhile, Fox 2000's Alvin And the Chipmunks family blockbuster smashed the $200 mil mark this weekend ($204.1 mil cume) after finishing either 10th or 11th, depending on whose weekend numbers you believe, with $4.5 mil from 2,430 sites.

Paramount couldn't have been pleased with its JJ Abrams hit horror pic Cloverfield dropping a surprisingly big 68% to only 4th place already its 2nd weekend out -- making $12.7 mil from 3,411 venues for a new cume of $64.2 mil. But Paramount Vantage's There Will Be Blood benefitted greatly from its multi Oscar nominations by earning $4.8 mil from just 885 runs to land in 8th place with a new cume of $14.7 mil.

I'm told the informal writer-mogul meetings are going "in a positive direction" enough so that it's beginning to look possible for the Academy Awards to proceed normally. Friday's was an especially productive session, I've learned. "I feel optimistic. In my opinion, today was productive and collaborative and respectful. I thought it was a very good day," an insider told me. The CEOs' pointman Peter Chernin is leaving tonight to go out of town ("This is not his day job," one source reminded...) but the talks will continue in his absence. I can tell you that since Tuesday the News Corp/Fox No. 2 has been telling insiders that the moguls have decided to let the WGA leadership (yes, even the guy they all hate -- Dave Young, who was in today's session) "declare a face-saving victory" in order to get a deal done. Yesterday Chernin, ensconced in the Fox commissary surrounded by some of his execs -- including Tom Rothman, Peter Liguori, and Hutch Parker -- was reassuring people, "Don't worry. It's done." My info is that it's far from done yet, but things are looking up to the point that one of my sources thinks this could get settled in time to hold a real Oscars. Sure, we've all been here before and seen talks break down after a few optimistic days. But now, according to my insiders, the moguls finally want a deal as much as the writers. Will the deal be good enough?

The side deal for RKO Productions Inc, a subsidiary of RKO Pictures, is similar to agreements the WGA recently reached with Lionsgate, Marvel Studios, The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films, and Worldwide Pants. 

I'm reading thousands of emails and returning hundreds of phone messages. Back today with full-time posting as soon as I get up to speed. I'm feeling great.