'M:I4' Has Edge at Box Office; SPC Nabs Woody Allen's Next Movie; 'Crash's' Haggis, Fraser Win $12M From Bob Yari; James Franco Eyeing Hefner Role in 'Lovelace'; The Year's Best Duels

TOP STORIES Box Office Report: As Traffic Picks Up, 'M:I4' Has Edge Over 'Dragon Tattoo,' 'Sherlock' After a sluggish start, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" gets a boost as kids are let out of school and is leading over Steven Spielberg's Christmas family film "The Adventures of Tintin." Sony Pictures Classics Grabs North American Rights to Woody Allen's 'Nero Fiddled' The filmmaker's follow-up to "Midnight in Paris" stars Alec Baldwin, Penelope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page. Paul Haggis, Brendan Fraser Win $12 Million From 'Crash' Producer Bob Yari Judge found that financier Yari had diverted funds from profit participants of 2005 Academy Award winning film. James Franco in Talks to Play Hugh Hefner in Linda Lovelace Biopic The actor, who was at one point in talks to play Lovelace's husband Chuck Traynor before stepping aside, would cameo as the Playboy founder only if the dates work out. The Great Duels of 2011: THR Year in Review Hollywood loves itself some litigation, especially when gigantic bruised egos collide with the potential for profits and power. MOVIES Harrison Ford Officially Joins 'Ender's Game' The actor will appear opposite Abigain Breslin, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld and Ben Kingsley in the sci-fi adaptation of Orson Scott Card's novel. Bradley Cooper Action Comedy 'Outrun' Set for August 2012 Release Kristen Bell and Tom Arnold also star in the Open Road pic, which was written and co-directed by Dax Shepard. Oscilloscope Moves Up Release of 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' The psychological thriller will now open Jan. 13 in New York and one week later in Los Angeles. Cannes Extends Tenures of President, Director Through 2014 UPDATED: Gilles Jacob, 81, and Thierry Fremaux, 50, will continue to lead the film festival with the latter adding more executive power over budget, staffing and development. Chinese Official Accuses Christian Bale of 'Creating News' With Shoving Match The country's foreign ministry spokesman said the actor "should be embarrassed" about being involved in a scuffle with authorities in a village outside of Beijing. TV VIDEO: Newt Gingrich 'F-ing A-hole' Exchange Caught by CNN, Dissected by Media A profane Iowan voter who is not a fan of the Republican presidential hopeful is a "hero" in some circles, an "unhinged jerk" in others. NBC Correspondent Arrested After Pursuing Exclusive Jerry Sandusky Interview Jay Gray was hit with a DUI after attending a party at attorney Joe Amendola's house on Dec. 11. Lionsgate Teams With Saban, Celestial Pics to Create Hong Kong-Based Pay TV Operator Celestial Tiger Entertainment will operate branded channels as well as produce and distribute video content across Asia. USA Special to Feature Gwyneth Paltrow, Seth MacFarlane and Designer Jason Wu 'Out of Character with Krista Smith' will air on January 11 at 11 pm, a daypart that the network's co-presidents are interested in exploring. FX's 'American Horror Story' Tops List of the Most Time-Shifted Series of the Year Also ranking high on Nielsen's year-end list is USA's "Covert Affairs," "Suits" and TNT's "Franklin & Bash," all of which see upwards of 90 percent more viewers tune in over the course of the week. BUSINESS EXCLUSIVE: 'Napoleon Dynamite' Star Jon Heder Signs With Gersh The actor is reprising his role as Napoleon Dynamite for an animated television series that debuts on Fox in January. Piers Morgan 'Must Have Known' About Hacking, Former Colleague Testifies James Hipwell said he thought that illegal interception was "entirely accepted" by senior editors at the Daily Mirror. Morgan Stanley Predicts 1% Movie Theater Attendance Decline in 2012 Analyst Benjamin Swinburne also trims his fourth-quarter expectations and price targets for exhibitors Regal and Cinemark. EXCLUSIVE: Stan Lee to Create Indian Comic Superhero 'Chakra - The Invincible' The comic creator's first Indian superhero revolves around a Mumbai teenage tech genius, Raju Rai, who develops an enhanced suit that activates mystical powers. EXCLUSIVE: 'The Walking Dead' Graphic Novels Dominate The New York Times Bestseller List The comic series holds 3 of the top 4 paperback bestsellers and 3 of the top 9 hardcover bestsellers. 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' Author Files Trademark Lawsuit Against 'Zombie Kid' Publisher Jeff Kinney claims that the book series too closely resembles his own. AWARDS EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: Jane Goodall on 'Jane's Journey,' the Oscar-Shortlisted Doc About Her Life The legendary activist, now 77, also talks to THR about her life, chimps, celebrity and optimism for the future, despite deniers of evolution and global warming. AUDIO: 'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' Star Rooney Mara on David Fincher, Feminism, and Her Real Name The 26-year-old tells THR that the director "didn't want to see me at first... it was hard for him to imagine me as Salander when the things that he needed from me to play Erica Albright [in 'The Social Network'] were the exact opposite qualities." MUSIC REPORT: Man Who Leaked Madonna Song Arrested in Spain A 31-year-old, described as a "big Madonna fan," has been charged with leaking a demo of her single "Give Me All Your Love" in November. Rapper Slim Dunkin Murdered After Fight Over Candy, Witnesses Tell Police "Based on the evidence we have, whoever he was fighting with secured a weapon and shot him," a detective says, adding that the witnesses' testimony has not bee confirmed. Songwriter's Estate Wants Control Over 'Santa Claus is Comin' To Town' A songwriter behind a holiday classic is trying to rip it from EMI's grip. The music publisher has received a termination notice, will it pout or cry? Etta James' Husband to Remain Conservator of Her Million-Dollar Estate The singer's spouse, Artis Mills, and her two sons have sparred over control of her fortune and medical care in court throughout the year. STYLE Kate Middleton Sizzles in an Alexander McQueen Strapless Black Velvet Gown The Duchess of Cambridge chose another gown by Sarah Burton, who designed her wedding dress, for London's "Night of Heroes" awards. Lacoste Accused of Censoring Artist For Being 'Too Pro-Palestinian' Larissa Sansour claims the French label dropped her from nominations for an award it is sponsoring because of her political artwork. EXCLUSIVE: Ace Hotel Coming to Downtown L.A. The trendy boutique chain has chosen the United Artists building -- erected by Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D.W. Griffith -- as its first local site. VIDEO VIDEO: 'Prometheus' Images, Video Released Teasing Trailer The first trailer for Ridley Scott's highly anticipated film will debut on Thursday. Sean Penn Goes Goth, Hunts Nazis in 'This Must Be the Place' Trailer (Video) The film, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, was recently added to the Sundance 2012 lineup.   follow on Twitter | THR on Facebook | forward to a friend  © 2011 The Hollywood Reporter, All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy   unsubscribe from this list | update newsletter preferences | view email in browser