Weekly CineBUZZ Report -

Downey, Hollywood's Comeback Kid

It wasn't long ago that Robert Downey, Jr. was in rehab for addiction to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol which followed several arrests for drug possession and a few bouts in prison. Fact, his vices had gotten so bad that he had become uninsurable for acting roles in movies, but his skills - playing Charlie Chaplin to Sherlock Holmes - could not be denied.

Presto! A decade later and he is now King-of-the-Hollywood heap earning the highest salary of any actor - $75 million over the course of the last year.  His portrayal of Tony Stark, in the Iron Man movie franchise and The Avengers pushed him to the top spot of Hollywood earners.  Iron Man 3, the latest installment, has grossed over $1.2 billion to date and the trilogy of Iron Man films over $2 billion.

As the top earner, Downey beat out some stiff competition - the other nine in the top 10 were: Channing Tatum - $60m, Hugh Jackman - $55m, Mark Wahlberg - $52m, Dwayne Johnson - $46m, Leonardo DiCaprio - $39m, Adam Sandler - $37m, Tom Cruise - $35m, Denzel Washington - $33m, and Liam Neeson - $32m.

Who was the highest paid female actor, you ask? It was Kristen Stewart (of the Twilight saga) at $35m.

Internet Content Provider Netflix Vies For Emmy Awards

Emmy nominations are Thursday and it appears that two entries - House of Cards and Arrested Development - which are produced and distributed by Netflix (the on-line content streamer) will be nominated in the best actor and best program categories. This would be the first time that programs not specifically produced for television would be nominated and there is a very good chance both programs will win Emmys.

Equivalent to the Oscar in the world of television, the significance of this event is that an Emmy will be awarded to programs produced exclusively for distribution via the internet and this is of major concern to the broadcast and cable TV channels, as it portends the beginning of the end of their monopoly over made-for television content.

Taking a cue from the movie studios which expanded the number of best picture nominees to 10 in 2010, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the sponsor of the Emmys, wants to go with the best content in its award giving.  By doing so, it gives credibility to Netflix and the myriad of other content streamers (from Google to Amazon) that are developing content for the internet.  The competition for viewers is getting more and more intense so cinemas must be at the top of their game to compete as we move forward. 

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Jim Lavorato