"Oz the Great and Powerful" was just that at the box office, making $150 million worldwide. And when "Veronica Mars" went on Kickstarter, begging for the bucks for a big-screen revivial, it set records on crowd-sourcing site for fundraising in a single day. And, speaking of big money, the Angolan millionaire who backed "Phantom" tells his story behind one of the year's largest box office bombs.
Meanwhile, on the smaller screen, "Girls" made even some of its staunchest defenders a might uncomfortable.
Those were among the stories that caught our attention at TheWrap this week. So here's your second chance to scan the news that may have slipped past your radar.
Barbara Walters: Elisabeth Hasselbeck Staying on "The View": Following Joy Behar's exit announcement, rumors floated that Hasselbeck was getting the boot because of her conflicting conservative opinions. But Walters set the record straight on Monday, saying Liz's particular POV "helps give the show perspective and balance."
20 Directors Worth Following on Twitter: Practically everyone in Hollywood has a Twitter account these days, but that doesn't mean they all have much of interest to say. We found 20 directors that did.
"Girls': About That Semen Scene: Lena Dunham sure knows how to get people talking — and debating. But this week even the show's faithful following had trouble with a less-than-romantic sex scene between relapsing alcoholic Adam (Adam Driver) and his new love interest Natalia (Shiri Appleby). What happened, you ask? The headline says it all.
"Oz" Box Office Balloons to $80M After Big Saturday; Worldwide Hits $150M: Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful" had the year's biggest opening so far. Here's why — and how it compared to other big-budget March movies releases in recent years.
Angola Mogul Takes on Hollywood, But His "Phantom" Flops: A week before Disney's "Oz the Great and Powerful" became an instant hit, RCR Media Group's "Phantom" — a Cold War submarine thriller starring Ed Harris and David Duchovny — became an instant disappointment. In an exclusive interview with TheWrap, the Angolan multimillionaire behind the company that financed and distributed the torpedo brushed off its dismal performance before discussing his future plans for the movie business.
"Storage Wars" Lawsuit: A&E Wins Partial Victory: The "Storage Wars" legal drama, which arose in December when former star Dave Hester filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired for complaining that the show was staged, got new life this week. But not the way Hester hoped: The judge ruled in the favor of A&E on several points, tossing an Unfair Business Practices complaint out, as well as deciding that an injunction against the series would violate the network's First Amendment rights. Hester has a few more complaints that have yet to be explored in court, so stay tuned.
Drugs, Tragedies and "Charlie's Angels": A riveting account of how one stuntman's crippling cocaine addiction almost crippled Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd's stunt doubles. Although the story is over 30 years old, the moral remains relevant.
"Veronica Mars" Movie Gets Greenlight: How Warner Bros. Plans to Make It: "Veronica Mars" never broke ratings records while airing on the CW, but this week it broke records on Kickstarter. Just four hours and 24 minutes after series creator Rob Thomas launched a campaign on the fundraising website to fund the production of a feature film reviving the titular sleuth played by Kristen Bell, $1 million of the $2 million goal was met. As of now, over $3 million has been pledged, proving you can always get what you want — as long as about 50,000 other people want the same thing.
Scott Sassa Resigns Key Hearst Job, Reportedly Over Sexting: Sassa, the former CEO of Marvel Entertainment and former president of NBC Entertainment, is now the former president of Hearst entertainment and syndication. Sassa resigned his position, the New York Post reported, after some risqué text messages he reportedly exchanged with a stripper were emailed to Hearst execs, including CEO Frank Bennack Jr. If true this again proves that sexting is never a good idea.
