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Disney is being sued by a screenwriter who claims the company stole his idea for the Oscar-winning animated film Zootopia.

Gary L. Goldman, who wrote 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall and executive produced Minority Report, claims in a lawsuit that Disney’s Zootopia is “substantially similar” to a project he once pitched with the same title.

Zootopia’s bunny cop Judy and sly fox Nick Wilde

Continue reading: Screenwriter Accuses Disney Of Stealing The Idea For 'Zootopia'

Jason Bateman and Tina Fey as squabbling siblings? Already This Is Where I Leave You has us intrigued. But then add Jane Fonda, ‘Girls’ star Adam Driver, Rose Byrne and Connie Britton to the cast and we might have the best ensemble comedy we’ve seen in a long time.

Tina Fey and Jason Bateman in This Is Where I Leave You

Based on the novel by Jonathan Tropper, This Is Where I Leave You, follows the dysfunctional Altman family (who were originally the Foxman’s) as they’re forced to spend seven days together following the death of their father.

Continue reading: Tina Fey And Jason Bateman Fight It Out In Trailer For ‘This Is Where I Leave You’

NBC are on the hunt for a new generation of "untapped talent" and have put out a call for "fresh comedic voices" who will be given the chance to pitch their best sitcom ideas to both the channel's top dogs and comedy royalty in a new national campaign. From the 1st May this year, aspiring comedy writers will be asked to submit their ideas to be considered for both digital and network comedy shows.

'Parks And Recreation' Star Aziz Ansari Could Be Judging Your Work!

"Entrants may submit up to two video samples (5-10 minutes each) of their pre-existing work, along with up to two video pitches (2-5 minutes per pitch), each describing a unique, original show idea," according to NBC Comedy Playground.

Continue reading: Sitting On A Cracking Sitcom Idea? NBC Want To Meet You!

The nominations for the 2014 Golden Globe Awards were revealed this week and although there were few surprises in the movie nominations; in the television categories however, it's time for change in the established order of critically-acclaimed TV. Former nomination regulars like Mad Men and Homefront are nowhere to be seen in the nominees lists, replaced instead by the new order of critically-acclaimed shows.

Master of Sex, along with House of Cards, is now the show to beat

Master of Sex and House of Cards now look like the shows to beat, with Breaking Bad making what will be its final appearance at the Golden Globes with the series ending this year. This comes just a year after Homeland achieved the impressive feat of winning Best Drama Series, Best Male Actor and Best Female Actor all in one night, although this does mark the second year in a row that the 2007-2009 winner Mad Men has not appeared in the Best Drama category.

Continue reading: Golden Globes 2014 Celebrates New Shows Over The Old As Television Nominations Are Revealed

The trailer has just landed for new Jason Bateman comedy, Bad Words, which stars the Juno actor alongside Kathryn Hahn and Ben Falcone for a back-to-school riot. Bateman plays Guy Trilby, a 40 year-old who never completed his eighth grade of school and believes this qualifies him to exploit a loophole in a major spelling bee that states anyone above eighth grade can't compete.

Jason Bateman Plays Guy, A Guy With A Score To Settle.

Despite the annoyance of entrants' parents and contest officials, Guy resolutely forces his way into the competition and earns a place in the National Quill Spelling Bee. Along the way Guy meets a sparky little boy names Chaitainya who has no friends his own age and so is taken under Guy's unqualified and profanity-prone wing.

Continue reading: ‘Bad Words’: Jason Bateman Revisits 8th Grade Spelling Bee In Hilarious New Comedy [Trailer + Pictures]

Amidst reports that their relationship is on the rocks, Jennifer Aniston was on hand to throw one heck of a distraction as she lavished her hubby Justin Theroux with gifts and visits from his famous friends as the actor celebrated his 42nd birthday this weekend.

The couple celebrated Justin's birthday and their one year anniversary as an engaged couple

There was no shortage of celebrity guests either, with famous faces dotted all around Jen and Justin's Bell Air mansion to wish Justin a happy birthday. Although Jen's BFF Courtney Cox couldn't attend the birthday bash, as the actress is reportedly recovering from a broken wrist still, reports state that among the attendees at their Los Angeles home were Ben Stiller, Tobey Maguire and Jason Bateman. Fellow actors Don Cheadle, Will Arnett, Malin Ackerman, Kristen Bell and her fiance Dax Shepard and Isla Fisher and her husband Sacha Baron Cohen were also in attendance, as were comedians Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen DeGeneres and their partners.

Continue reading: Jennifer Aniston Throws Star-Studded Birthday Bash For Justin Theroux

Beware the media revolution – specifically, Netflix shows at the Emmys. Four years after Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) predicted the death of traditional media, online shows – that is, programming specifically produced for online distribution – might, for the first time, upstage traditional broadcasts. The contenders are the obvious ones – Arrested Development and House of Cards. The shows are leading contenders for the Best Actor and Best Program nominations – categories, which have up until now been the exclusive domain of broadcast and cable networks.

Are online shows the way of the future?

Regardless of whether the two shows have any chance of winning - which, given their critical and audience reception, seems likely – the mere fact that the two are being considered shows a shift in the paradigm, so to speak. However, it might be that Netflix specifically, and not online content in general, is moving into the mainstream.

Continue reading: Netflix At The Emmys? Networks Welcome The Change

The fourth season of Arrested Development was such a huge success that Netflix is reportedly in talks for another one. Brian Grazer, co-chair of the production company, Imagine Entertainment, said at the Allen & Co. Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Speaking to Bloomberg Television, Grazer explained: “We are in conversations with them to do another. They are interested in doing that.”

Jason Bateman and co. might be back for another season.

The show’s fourth season of the show was part of a large-scale experiment for Netflix, the first phase of the company’s transition from a pure rental service into a producer of online content. Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings has called “Arrested Development” and other “Netflix originals” integral to his strategy of transforming the company from a purveyor of rerun programming into a Web-based television network offering a mix of Hollywood movies and new shows, comparable to Time Warner Inc.’s HBO.

Continue reading: Netflix In Talks To Renew Arrested Development For Fifth Season

Arrested Development made its long-awaited return this weekend. As it’s Netflix that have brought this cult hit back to prominence, a question rears its head: should we watch this in one go, fighting off a sugar-induced comatose while 90% enveloped by a sleeping bag? It really comes down to another question: is it good?

A bearded Jason Bateman at the premiere of season 4

The reviews certainly suggest that this immensely popular comedy is somewhere near its best, and despite a few flat points, season 4 is a worthy addition to the already existing trio of seasons available. Binging the whole series, which is part of Netflix’ marketing strategy, might be detrimental to the season as a whole, though. Some of the flat points are only flat because they came after 3 consecutive hours of watching it. Compare the show to a similar project from Netflix, House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, and we can get closer to our answer. Binging on House of Cards was one of the best ways to watch it; with complex plotlines intertwining each other and creating a web of intrigue, it was best viewed in sequence. Arrested Development has an established cast, and the viewing is so light, watching them one-after-the-other can make the comedy grow tired.

Continue reading: The Return Of Arrested Development – To Binge Or Not To Binge?

Hurrah, Arrested Development returns this Sunday. Fans of the original series could not be more excited, while everyone else is just kind of looking around being really confused. The Emmy-award winning show will come back with 15 brand new episodes, to Netflix of all places and in a lot of ways, it will be pretty similar to the Arrested Development we know and love – it will be divided into roughly half-hour episodes, with the entire main cast reprising their roles - Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Jessica Walter and Portia De Rossi.

Jason Bateman returns as Michael Bluth this Sunday.

But creator Mitch Hurwitz warns viewers not to expect a perfect replica of the earlier seasons. Besides the obvious changes, necessitated by the fact that this season comes seven years later, the story will be structured slightly differently. Instead of all the characters appearing most of the time, like we’ve been used to, every episode from season four will be centered around a single character, with the rest of the Bluth family making only occasional appearances. Longtime fans, however, will be rewarded for their dedication, with story arcs that continue over several episodes. Much like his audience, Hurwitz himself could not be more excited by the show’s return. Or more surprised.

Continue reading: Arrested Development Creator As Suprised As Fans By The Show's Return

Another article to trumpet the return of Arrested Development, and quite frankly we’re more than happy to keep them coming for you, because we’re as excited as anyone about the return of the cult comedy to Netflix after seven years away.

Netflix will air all 15 new episodes at the same time on Sunday evening (May 26, 2013) and the cast have been reflecting on the demise of the original series on Fox in 2006, as well as the new episodes. "I think the show scored some 'cool points' for dying before its time," said Michael Cera, who plays Michael Bluth’s son George Michael. "But there are still a lot more places for it to go." Jason Bateman, who plays Michael Bluth, commented "Clearly a lot of people DIDN'T like the show, so I guess all we were hearing from were those who do—and that happens to be a brand of people who are not afraid of speaking their minds."

Mitch Hurwitz, the creator of the show, has had to battle scheduling issues, but he’s got the new shows done, with the focus changing so that each episode focuses on a particular character. "Mitch and the cast didn't want to do something not as good as the old series," said Bateman. "We didn't want to do something lateral or just a retread." Cera added "I think it's new at every opportunity, while retaining the show's original heart."

Continue reading: Arrested Development Season 4 Launches This Weekend

It's almost time, just as the trailer promises, we're at the final countdown until Arrested Development finally returns thanks to Netflix. The trailer for the upcoming fourth season, soundtracked by Europe's biggestc hit, promises us the much needed dose of illusions, birds, uncomfortable cousin tension and of course some of the finest acting you will ever see from the world's most famous openly never-nude in what could be the biggest TV moment to hit the internet.

The trailer tries not to give too much away, but there is an ostrich in it, which will hopefully walk on Buster's pillow at some point, some incredibly detailed set designs (of course) and plenty more references to past jokes. All that in a trailer that is less than 1 minute 30 seconds.

Continue reading: Trailer For Arrested Development Series 4 Goes Viral! (Video)

Fans eagerly anticipating the return of Arrested Development could end up getting a dose of the comeback earlier than planned should they bump into the Bluth family’s Frozen Banana Stand! That’s right, ahead of the cult sitcom’s return to Netflix, it’s been announced that the banana stand will be popping up at locations all over London as part of the Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand Worldwide Tour – starting today (May 8, 2013).

So what’s so special about this then? Well, the fact that anyone from the Bluth family could pop up at the stand at any given moment; that means you could come face to face with Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, David Cross, Tony Hale or any of the other stars of the show turning up. It will appear in London again on May 9^th, 15^th and 21^st as well as calling in at other cities around the world in the run-up to the premiere of the new season on May 26^th. Remember Netflix are going to premiere all 15 episodes of the new season at the same time. God it’s going to be good isn’t it? It just has to be.

If you want to know even more information about the Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand and where it might be, it’s best to follow their Twitter at @ArrestedDev. We sure will be.

Continue reading: Prepare For Arrested Development Season 4 With A Trip To Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand!

Excitement is really starting to mount for Arrested Development fans as the show’s characters get their own person and finally a clip is release online. Netflix have funded a new series of the popular comedy (starring Michael Cera and Jason Bateman), which was cruelly axed by Fox in 2006 after just 3 seasons. It will be available to Netflix members to stream in its entirety, from May 26, 2013.

New posters of the characters have been unveiled and published by Huffington Post, with each character getting their own individual poster. Somewhat more tantalising, however, is the new clip that has been released, featuring Buster and his darling mother Lucille in a rather compromising situation. Compromising for Buster, that is. As Lucille flaunts the no-smoking rule but sticks to the one that says she’s not allowed hear the balcony (because of her ankle tag, of course), it’s down to Buster to inhale his mother’s cigarette smoke and breathe it out of the patio doors for her. In short: it’s gross. It’s also very funny. But gross, nonetheless.

It’s not long now until the Bluth family return to our screens (well, those of us with a Netflix membership) and in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the series creator Mitchell Hurwitz explained the differences in the various Bluth characters since we first saw them 10 years ago. “This year is about the enduring entanglements of family. They are 10 years older than when we met, so that means emotionally they’re, like, two years older than we met them. Amazing things happen when one goes from being emotionally 12 years old to emotionally being 14 years old.” Now then, we’re off to sleep for a while. We’ve set our alarms for May 26… 

Continue reading: Hold The Front Page! Teaser Clip Online Of New 'Arrested Development' Series

It’s been a solid week reviews-wise for the Jason Bateman-starring Disconnect, with critics giving it a boost ahead of its full release in the US this coming weekend (April 12, 2013).

Originally show last September at the Toronto Film Festival, 'Disconnect' focuses on the impact that humanity’s reliance on technology for communication is having on the face-to-face real life communication of their everyday. An interesting premise (and we recommend reading The Shallows by Nicholas Carr for further on this subject,) the film focuses on a group of people and shows how the internet, their laptops and mobile phones have actually affected them and made them more isolated in spite of their ease of reach. In a passionately written review for the Chicago Sun Times, Richard Roeper commented “I believed the lives of these people. I believed they'd do the drastic things they do in the face of crisis. I ached for them when things went terribly wrong and rooted for them when there were glimmers of hope.” The New York Observer meanwhile commented “Responsible, riveting and intense, it's a film about cybercrime that left me shaking-the movie equivalent of sticking a wet finger into a hot socket.”

Some of the praise was more balanced however, with The Hollywood Reporter writing “The thematic points are made clearly, with well-sustained tension and no shortage of dramatic impact. It's just that it's all a bit obvious ...” It may be obvious, The Hollywood Reporter, but if its message isn’t being paid attention to then doesn’t it need to be? Check out the 'Disconnect' trailer below. 

Continue reading: 'Disconnect' Manages Bond With Reviewers Ahead Of Release (Trailer)