Eric Roth (”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) has signed on to pen the script, which will chronicle the coach’s career during the years he transformed the Green Bay Packers from the worst team in the NFL into five-time champs.

Chris Olsen is producing alongside Tribeca Prods.’ De Niro and Jane Rosenthal. ESPN/Andell, which acquired Lombardi’s life story rights via his estate and Vincent Lombardi Jr., also nabbed the rights to the tome “Instant Replay” written by former Packer Jerry Kramer and Dick Schaap.

“We’ve had an extraordinary relationship with ESPN for five years through the Tribeca Film Festival, and now we’re able to extend that association into production,” said Rosenthal, co-founder of the Gotham fest.

Producers are aiming to release the film on the weekend between the AFC and NFC Conference Championships and the Super Bowl in 2012. There is no distributor yet.

CAA, which reps De Niro and Roth, also works with ESPN Films on its bigscreen projects.

“As he got out of bed, he felt a little weak and went down to the floor on his knees,” Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said. His mother called paramedics.

An autopsy will determine Haim’s cause of death. There was no evidence of foul play, police Sgt. Michael Kammert said.

Haim, who gained attention for his roles in “Lucas” and “The Lost Boys,” had flulike symptoms before he died and was getting over-the-counter and prescription medications, police Sgt. William Mann said.

“He could have succumbed to whatever (illness) he had or it could have been drugs,” Mann said. “He has had a drug problem in the past.”

Haim was taken by ambulance to the hospital from an apartment in Los Angeles near Burbank.

Haim acknowledged his struggle with drug abuse to a British tabloid in 2004.

“I was working on ‘Lost Boys’ when I smoked my first joint,” he told The Sun. “I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack.”

Haim said he went into rehabilitation and was put on prescription drugs. He took stimulants and sedatives.

“I started on the downers, which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck,” he said.

In 2007, he told ABC’s “Nightline” that drugs hurt his career.

“I wasn’t functional enough to work for anybody, even myself. I wasn’t working,” he said.

The Toronto-born actor got his start in television commercials at 10 and developed a good reputation for his work in such films as 1985’s “Murphy’s Romance” and his portrayal of Liza Minelli’s dying son in the 1985 television film “A Time to Live.”

His career peaked when he became a heartthrob with his roles in the 1986 movie “Lucas” and “The Lost Boys” in 1987 in which he battled vampires.

In later years, he made a few TV appearances and had several direct-to-video movies. He also had a handful of recent movies that have not yet been released.

In 1997, Haim filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing debts for medical expenses and more than $200,000 in state and federal taxes.

His assets included a few thousand dollars in cash, clothing and royalty rights.

In recent years, he appeared in the A&E reality TV show “The Two Coreys” with his friend Corey Feldman. It was canceled in 2008 after two seasons. Feldman later said Haim’s drug abuse strained their working and personal relationships.

Haim’s resume includes the aforementioned classics “The Lost Boys” and “Lucas”, as well as “License to Drive”, “Dream a Little Dream”, etc.

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Founded in 1998, The Scriptapalooza TV Contest is one of the top contests of its kind and is open to writers from all over the world. Writers are able to submit scripts in any of four categories including One Hour Existing Dramas, Current Sit-Coms, Pilots and Reality.

Brick’s award-winning entry is a spec script for the one hour drama CSI: Miami entitled “Gone Fishing.” In “Gone Fishing,” the CSI team reels in two curious cases including an unusual catch at a fishing tournament and a mysterious murder at a nearby campground.

And the Oscars went to…

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR

“The Hurt Locker”
(Summit Entertainment) A Voltage Pictures Production

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
Kathryn Bigelow

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Up” (Walt Disney)
Pete Docter

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher (Lionsgate)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal (Summit Entertainment)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haddock Films Production Argentina

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox) Mauro Fiore

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

“The Young Victoria” (Apparition) Sandy Powell

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) – Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)

“Up” (Walt Disney) – Michael Giacchino

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)

“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight) – Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) – Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“The Cove” (Roadside Attractions) An Oceanic Preservation Society Production

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

“Music by Prudence” – An iThemba Production; Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

“The New Tenants”A Park Pictures and M & M Production
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

“Logorama”(Autour de Minuit) An Autour de Minuit Production
Nicolas Schmerkin

The New, Improved* Cyberspace Open
Spring 2010 Edition

What This Unique Contest Is And How It Works

The Cyberspace Open is an on-line elimination contest in which writers compete for three prizes of $3,000, $500, and $300.  In addition, we will give winners great industry exposure:

• We will send 300+ producers the names and describe the achievements of the winners.
• The written scenes and videos of the three winning scenes will be posted on the Web, with an explanation of the tough conditions under which they were made.
• Also, we send feedback by email to all entrants.

Like no other contest in the world, this contest tests your ability to write creatively for a movie or TV production on a tight deadline.  The skills it takes are very much like some of the key skills of a script doctor called in to fix a script quickly, or a TV writer working on a weekly show.

The Cyberspace Open is a four-stage elimination contest:

Round 1: A Weekend To Write A Scene: 100 Survivors

In Round 1, we post a scene premise at the web site on Friday, April 16, 2010 at or just before 5:00 p.m.   You will have until 9:00 a.m. Monday, April 19 to email your finished scene to the entry email address. That gives you an entire weekend to conceive, write, rewrite, and polish your first-round entry.

What Round 1 Simulates:

We think of Round 1 as being much like this situation: A movie or show is being shot.  It becomes clear on Friday afternoon that a key scene is just not working.  You are called in to save the budget and schedule by writing a new scene over the weekend and delivering it to the producer (us) by 9:00 a.m. sharp on Monday.  The entire film/TV crew will be sitting around on the set Monday waiting for your words.  There is no margin for late delivery.

Round 2: Absolutely, Positively, Must Be There The Next Morning

What Round  2 Simulates:

Round 2 is much like this situation: a movie or show is being shot.  It becomes clear on the morning that a key scene is just not working.  You are called in to save the budget and schedule by writing a new scene by the next morning and delivering it to the producer (us) by 10:00 a.m. sharp.  The entire film/TV crew will be sitting around on the set Sunday waiting for your words.  So there is no margin for late delivery.

The Three Winners Advance To The Live Round:

Brand New And Very Cool: Winning Scenes Videotaped:

In this contest, each of the three winners will have his/her second scene videotaped:

• Actors will perform a reading of each of the three scenes before a camera/cameras provided by the Contest, which will be video recorded.
• The three videos of scenes and the scene texts will be placed on the Internet for viewing.
• Recipients of our CS Weekly E-Zine (approx. 80,000) will be invited to vote for a winner.
• Voting will take place through an online survey system. The three winning positions (first, second third) will be on the basis of highest score.  One vote will be allowed per IP address.

Bonus For All Entrants: Brief Feedback On Your Scene.

Judges will provide your score and feedback to you if you provide an email address.  Be sure your mail server does not block emails from the servers @creativescreenwriting.com and @screenwritingexpo.com in order to receive your score and feedback.

The Wisconsin Film School, in partnership with the Waisman Center of UW-Madison, will produce a 30-minute documentary on a unique spring fashion show at Monona Terrace — the Fashion Show for All Abilities — featuring more than 40 models with disabilities. You can join the production team for this important, hands-on workshop.

Three of the models will be profiled as they prepare for and participate in the climactic runway event May 27. The film will be made entirely by students under the supervision of professional documentary filmmakers and social workers for the disabled.

The students will be divided into three production teams. The teams will receive intensive, hands-on training in making documentaries, including camera, sound and lighting.  The Waisman Center, a world-class center for the study of human development, and producer of the fashion show, will consult and instruct on ability issues. Over the course of a month (we anticipate six days of instruction and shooting) the three teams will follow three models into their daily lives.

Each team will include one student with a disability.

In its five years, this extraordinary fashion event has never been filmed. The  workshop and film will broaden understanding of disabilities and capabilities and affirm the common human story of overcoming obstacles and making dreams come true.

Head on over to the Wisconsin Film School site for details on how you can be a part of this unique production.

Rourke’s been cast as the villain, King Hyperion. Tarsem Singh is directing with production set to start in April.

Story follows a young warrior Theseus who leads his men into battle with the immortal Greek gods to defeat evil elder gods of the Titans in order to save mankind.

“War of the Gods” will be produced by Gianni Nunnari of Hollywood Gang Prods., Mark Canton of Atmosphere Entertainment and Relativity topper Ryan Kavanaugh. Nunnari and Canton partnered on 2007’s “300,” producing the sword-and-sandals saga for Warner Bros.

Jason Keller penned the most recent draft of the script. An earlier version was written by Christian Gudegast; producers began development in 2008 after buying a spec from Charley and Vlas Parlapanides.

Rourke will be seen next as the Russian villain in “Iron Man 2″ opposite Robert Downey Jr., who recruited Rourke for the part during last year’s awards season.

Rourke is repped by ICM.

Created for radio in the 1930s, the Shadow has psychic powers. Character spawned comicstrips, graphic novels, vidgames, TV shows and at least five features, including the 1994 Universal pic starring Alec Baldwin.

Sony was the next major to pursue “The Shadow,” optioning the film rights in 2006.

Raimi has long been interested in “The Shadow.” He tried to get the rights in the late 1980s, but couldn’t so he created his own superhero and made the film “Darkman.”

Tate Taylor, a multihyphenate and childhood friend of the author, will direct from his adapted script. He acquired the pic rights to the novel from Stockett.

Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe will produce via their shingle 1492 Pictures. Taylor also will produce with his partner at Harbinger Pictures, Brunson Green.

Deal was announced by DreamWorks co-production prexies Holly Bario and Mark Sourian.

“The Help” has spent 47 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, where it stands at No. 1.

Set in Jackson, Miss., in the early 1960s, story explores the unspoken code of behavior governing Southern households, which is shattered when an aspiring writer interviews a maid who speaks candidly about her experiences. The interview sets off shock waves that reverberate across the entire community.