Bringing His Roots to Pittsburgh

Thomas Tull who was very important in bringing The Dark Knight Rises to Pittsburgh, has purchased a home in the city.  He has purchased a condominium and office space to be converted into a home of 8000 square feet.  He is also a part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he has been a fan of this team since he was a child.  Tull is not only a welcome new member of this city, he is one of the reasons Pittsburgh has been put on the map as a "new Hollywood".

Thomas Tull, the Legendary Pictures chairman and CEO who was instrumental in bringing "The Dark Knight Rises" to Pittsburgh, has talked a lot about his love for the city. Now he's showing it in a sizeable wayMr. Tull, a partner in the Steelers ownership group, last week completed the purchase of a $2.7 million condominium at Downtown's Three PNC Plaza, home to the Fairmont Hotel and the Reed Smith law firm.

He bought one entire floor and part of another in the 23-story office, residential and hotel tower on Fifth Avenue with the intent of combining them into one unit of nearly 8,000 square feet.

The buyer is officially listed as Lafayette Trust in Allegheny County real estate records, but the Post-Gazette has learned that Mr. Tull is actually behind the purchase.

It marks his second big outlay in Pittsburgh. Three years ago, Mr. Tull, a Steelers fan since childhood, made an undisclosed investment in the team to become part of its ownership group.

He's such a passionate fan that he flies in from Los Angeles for Steelers home games, where he usually can be seen in a Jack Lambert jersey. He'll be able to walk to Heinz Field from his new digs Downtown.

Mr. Tull, 42, decided to buy a condo here because, "He really loves the city. He considers it his adopted home and his second home to Los Angeles," said a source close to the CEO. "He's super devoted to it and he wanted to put down some roots there."

By the time he's finished building out the two-story unfinished unit, he is expecting the value to be nearly double the purchase price, the source said. Mr. Tull chose Three PNC Plaza in part because of its central location.

As executive director for "The Dark Knight Rises," Mr. Tull is credited with using his influence to encourage Warner Bros. to shoot a large part of the Batman movie here.

Legendary Pictures also was involved in "The Dark Knight" in 2008 and the earlier "Batman Begins."

Mr. Tull also is serving as executive director for the new Superman flick, "Man of Steel," to hit theaters next summer. Other Legendary films scheduled for release next year include "42," a biopic on baseball player Jackie Robinson, and "The Hangover Part III."

Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office, said that Mr. Tull helped to "put Pittsburgh on the map" in bringing "The Dark Knight Rises" here. The executive producer having a home in town can only be good news for the city, she said.

"Hopefully, it results in even more of his work coming here," she said. "We welcome him with open arms."

In addition to being part of the Steelers ownership group, Mr. Tull is a member of the Carnegie Mellon University board of trustees.

He and his wife, Alba, have three children.

Read more at the Post Gazette.

Win Tickets to the Jack Reacher Premiere

If you were not lucky enough to be on the crew for "Jack Reacher", you still have a chance to see Tom Cruise in person.  There will be a ticket lottery for the "Jack Reacher" premiere on December 15th. Keep reading to learn more.

 

Crank up the klieg lights. An email drawing to win tickets to the U.S. premiere of "Jack Reacher" filmed in Pittsburgh is now open.

To win a pair of seats for the 2 p.m. Dec. 15 event, which will come complete with Tom Cruise and a red carpet outside the SouthSide Works Cinema, send an email with your full name, age and home address to Pittsburgh@43kix.com.

That information also will be found in an advertisement in Thursday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette where the small print stipulates, as always, that the theater could be overbooked to ensure a full house so winners need to arrive early since admission is not guaranteed.

No tickets will be sold.

No tickets will be needed to huddle outside the theater and watch arrivals -- expected to start at 11 a.m. that Saturday -- and try to win one of the prizes, including iPads, Xbox 360s, Steelers, Pirates and Penguins jerseys and tickets to the premiere.



Mr. Cruise, director-writer Christopher McQuarrie and others will join Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen about 12:30 p.m. in the square in front of the Cheesecake Factory for a ceremony with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl thanking the city.

In addition to Mr. Cruise, fellow actors Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike, David Oyelowo and Alexia Fast are expected along with novelist Lee Child, whose "One Shot" book is the basis for the movie.

The action thriller is about ex-military investigator Jack Reacher, a footloose and enigmatic loner who suspects a one-time military sniper did not kill five people, as police charge.

The movie opens nationwide Dec. 21.

In a first for Pittsburgh in recent decades, Paramount Pictures is renting all 10 screens and 1,659 seats for the premiere that will draw international outlets along with Pittsburgh area media.

In July 1994, Pittsburgh hosted the world premiere of "Angels in the Outfield" at Three Rivers Stadium.

The baseball fantasy was not filmed here but was inspired by the 1951 movie set at Forbes Field.

It attracted top Disney executives along with actors Danny Glover, Tony Danza, Milton Davis Jr., Taylor Negron and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the last of whom returned to Pittsburgh years later to film scenes for "The Dark Knight Rises."

For more information see the Post Gazette.

Movie Premiere in Pittsburgh

Jack Reacher was filmed in Pittsburgh this past summer with tons of support from the Pittsburgh area.  The movie has decided to come back to the area for a Hollywood premiere of the movie.  The SouthSide Works Cinema will host the event on December 15th with more than 1500 seats being used for the event.  No tickets will be sold, but there are opportunities to win tickets.

When Tom Cruise was in Pittsburgh filming "Jack Reacher" based on Lee Child's novel "One Shot" earlier this year, Paramount Pictures kept a very tight lid on production.

One scene involving Mr. Cruise was literally filmed at a parking lot across from the Post-Gazette, but on set visits were forbidden, even when the set came to us. That disappointment aside, Mr. Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie made full use of the city's diverse and scenic charms -- from Sewickley to the Strip District -- extending Pittsburgh's reputation as a great place to make movies in yet another high-profile film.

The director, cast and crew had such a great time here that they're returning to Pittsburgh for "Jack Reacher's" U.S. premiere on Dec. 15 at the SouthSide Works Cinema. All 10 of the theater's screens and all 1,659 seats will be devoted to the film. An ad in the Dec. 6 Post-Gazette will provide details on how to win seats, but no tickets will be sold for the event.

Because "Jack Reacher" was filmed at many more places in the region than the "Dark Knight Rises," a higher ratio of recognizable places will make it to the big screen. That will be great for the region's ego, especially after the star turn the Pittsburgh skyline received in the jail escape drama "The Next Three Days."

Having a Hollywood-style premiere in Pittsburgh featuring Mr. Cruise, Robert Duvall and other members of the cast and crew of "Jack Reacher" is a real coup for the region and testifies to the hard work of the Pittsburgh Film Office under Dawn Keezer. Pittsburgh isn't Hollywood yet, but it is quickly becoming more than a city with a pretty face.

For more information see the Post Gazette.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Spend some time with your friends and family and remember everything in life that you are thankful for.

Columbia Pictures to Distribute Fox Catcher

 Foxcatcher has caught a lot of attention around the Western Pennsylvania area.  It has brought some big stars to the area.  Along with the big names, Channing Tatum has been successfully stalked by most Western PA women as he shoots the movie around the area. This film that has employed many locals, and it now has a distributor through Columbia Pictures.

 Columbia Pictures will distribute "Foxcatcher," the movie being shot in Western Pennsylvania with Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Michael Hall.

Bennett Miller is directing a screenplay by Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye about a real-life chemical fortune heir who went to prison for killing an Olympic gold medalist and wrestler.
In January 1996, John du Pont shot and killed David Schultz, a 1984 gold medal winner who came to live and train at the state-of-the-art Foxcatcher National Training Center that Mr. du Pont had built on his 800-acre property in Newtown Square, Pa. The movie could be released in fall 2013.

Here is the official press release:

Columbia Pictures Acquires U.S Rights to Bennett Miller's FOXCATCHER

Culver City, CA (November 1, 2012) – Columbia Pictures has picked up the United States distribution rights to Bennett Miller's FOXCATCHER from Annapurna Pictures. In addition to the U.S. distribution rights, Columbia Pictures also joins the film as a co-financer. The deal reunites Miller with Columbia, having previously collaborated with the studio on last fall's release of the Academy Award®-nominated picture, MONEYBALL. Panorama Media is commencing International sales of the film at the upcoming American Film Market.

Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Michael Hall, FOXCATCHER was written by Dan Futterman and E. Max Frye. Producing the film are Megan Ellison, Anthony Bregman, and Miller. The film is currently in production.

Columbia's Andrew Gumpert and Michael Marshall negotiated the deal with Panorama Media. Rights were acquired from Panorama Media, which is serving as the film's sales agent. SPE will aim to release the film in the fall of 2013.

For more information see Post Gazette.

American Horror Story Actress Coming to Pittsburgh

 Chloe Sevigny's character on American Horror Story does not have it easy.  However, after getting tortured and probed in the FX series, Chloe will be coming to Pittsburgh to shoot a new pilot.  "Those to Kill" is a new pilot being shot in Pittsburgh for the A&E Network.

Last week was a bad one for actress Chloe Sevigny's character, Shelley, on "American Horror Story." Sanitarium doc and possible Nazi Arthur Arden (James Cromwell, "Babe") amputated Shelley's legs -- for no good reason.

Shelley was committed to New England's Briarcliff Manor mental hospital in the 1960s by her husband. Diagnosed as a nymphomaniac, Shelley was trying to help other inmates escape when Arden captured her and shackled her in his operating room.

And it doesn't look as if it's getting any better for Shelley in tonight's "AHS" episode at 10 on FX.

"Well, I don't know how much more dialogue I have," Ms. Sevigny said in a teleconference with reporters last week. "There's lots of gurgling."

Ms. Sevigny, who's probably best known for her role in HBO's "Big Love," said her first reaction to Shelley's turn for the worse was regret.

"Honestly, I wanted to have more to do," she said. "I called my agent and I said, 'I wish my part was bigger.' That's honestly what happened. That was my first response, but then I kind of let go of my ego and kind of accepted what was going to happen to me and tried to find the joy in that and the mystery."

Ms. Sevigny will undoubtedly have more to do in A&E's upcoming pilot "Those Who Kill," an American remake of a Danish crime drama that begins production in Pittsburgh the first week in December.

Ms. Sevigny stars as Catherine Jensen, a police detective who's a workaholic without much of a life besides her work. She partners with Thomas Schaffer (played by James D'Arcy, "Cloud Atlas"), a forensic profiler, to track down serial killers.

Sometimes actors object to filming outside production centers such as Los Angeles or New York, but it doesn't sound as if that will be an issue for Ms. Sevigny, who has never been to Pittsburgh.

"I'm cool with the fact that it's an hour from New York, but yes, I'm excited to be there," Ms. Sevigny said. "I love being on location, especially in a town like that. I have some of the most fun times like working in Sarasota, Fla., or Shreveport, La., and things like that. So I think it will be cool to discover a new city like that."

If "Those Who Kill" is picked up to series, it's expected to return to Pittsburgh to film additional episodes.

Prior to "AHS," Ms. Sevigny starred in DirecTV's "Hit and Miss," a British co-production where she played a transgendered assassin. She confirmed that show was canceled.

But in the space of a year she will have played multiple distinct characters. Ms. Sevigny said it's not difficult to transition among characters.

"I find it pretty easy," she said. "I've already wrapped 'American Horror Story' a couple of months ago. I think they might have me come back for something else. I'm not sure. So I'll have plenty of time and then of course delving into the scripts and research and with playing Catherine there'll probably be some training involved also.

"While we were shooting 'American Horror Story,' I was also shooting 'Portlandia.' So I was going from one set to the next, and I'd never really done that before," Ms. Sevigny said. "And 'Portlandia' was so new for me because it's all improvisation and trying to be funny and all that. So it was quite difficult when you're shooting two at the same time."

For the time being, "AHS" viewers will have to contend with Shelley's evolution, which requires four hours of prosthetic makeup.

"You see her transformed into something -- something not so pleasant to look at," Ms. Sevigny said. 

"I think it might be kind of one of the heaviest things that I've ever done as far as where she winds up."

That doesn't sound good for poor Shelley.

For more information see Pittsburgh Film Office.

Fall Back This Weekend

Do not show up an hour early for class on Monday.  This Saturday night to Sunday make sure to set your clocks back an hour for fall back time.  Enjoy your extra hour of sleep this weekend.

It's time once again for the annual ritual of resetting our clocks for a return to standard time. In fall, we turn daylight saving* time off, which means moving clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, November 4, 2012. This return to "normal" time (Pacific Standard Time) moves sunset back an hour with the corresponding effect of an earlier sunrise.

Unless you plan on being awake and functional at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, set your clocks back one hour before retiring on Saturday night. You'll then be on time for Sunday activities and refreshed from getting an extra hour of sleep. 

For more information see About.com
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