It’s still Upfront Week, and New York is still over-run by the starts of network television shows and those pimping their pilots to all the advertisers.

Today, Reaper got picked up for 13 more episodes on the CW and ABC announced it’s line-up. But something is missing, suggesting tomorrow’s CBS upfronts could have a surprise.

Upfronts are this week, the twice-yearly blood-in-the-water presentation of networks to advertisers in hopes of picking up some sweet ad money during the recession.

Here’s what we know about the upcoming TV season thus far:

No, they don’t show Will Smith molesting children. They are pretty tame. And Spike Lee is there for some reason (photos under the cut).

This weekend, Hancock did some filming in Times Square, which is disconcerting, because the film has already screened in test form (since it wrapped production in November) Not only that, but there are rumors that Hancock has already FAILED to get a PG-13 rating after submitting to the MPAA twice. Each time, they came away with an R.

The things we’ve heard about Hancock, inside…

This is a interesting little tidbit, and if it is true, Lindsay Lohan has been blacklisted, in a way, from further film roles.

We jumped on the sotry like everyone else: Lohan was cast in Manson Girls as Nancy Pitman, a surfer chick who became enthralled with Manson’s Family. However, according to this newest item, she has been UN-ATTACHED because other actresses refused to co-star with her.

The dirt from the source, after the jump.

A UK-based company called Velvet Octopus is ready to begin production on a sequel to 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko, of Jake Gyllenhaal fame. Jake will not be returning, but Daviegh Chase, who played Donnie’s younger sister Samantha in the film, will be returning to star in the “sequel.”

The second film picks up seven years after the first film (and the ill-fated jet engine incident), with Samantha Darko and her friend Corey on a road trip to Los Angeles when they start having weird visions.

This seems like a really bad idea. Velvet Octopus would like to make it known that they have “spoken” to Richard Kelly, the director of the first film, but that he is not involved in any official way. That makes us thing: bring on the suck.

Cast, details and when this shit-storm starts to go down, after the jump.

As if eating New Line alive wasn’t enough to feed the beast, Warner Brothers has announced today that they will also be shuttering up Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures.

What’s worse is the official statement seems to blame the folding on New Line’s addition, subtly hinting that the New Line banner will be taking over the production budgets and schedules of both Picturehouse and WIP.

Get the statement and more inside.

If you have been following our coverage of Union Bitch-Fight 2008, you’re pretty aware that SAG and AMPTP negotiations were only extended for two, paltry days before the AMPTP was going to break off and negotiate with AFTRA in an attempt to rope in SAG by getting AFTRA to agree to a similar deal as the WGA and the DGA.

The difference being that SAG’s been asking for more money over a few different issues, notably the actor-centric pay scale for guest appearances and extras.

As expected, the AMPTP called off negotiations with the Screen Actor’s Guild, leading SAG to issue a pres release to its members demonizing the AMPTP while simultaneously trumpeting: “Guild Offers to Continue and Negotiate ‘Around the Clock’ to Complete Deal.”

We’ll let sit the fact that they’ve just now started to go “around the clock” now that negotiations have stopped. A rational person would ask: shouldn’t you have been going around the clock this whole time, since failure to reach a deal will result in another costly strike?

Luckily, we don’t need a rational person, ‘cause Michael Bay went and got pissed all over his message boards.

Hey, have you guys heard about this movie called Iron Man? We’re hearing it might be the greatest thing ever. Really, ever. It didn’t lose ground to the other media property that was supposed to clear our economic stimulus checks (GTA IV), hell, it even got women into the theater for a summer action flick and boosted Marvel’s stock.

Is there nothing Iron Man can’t do?

Can it…gulp…jump-start award season?

That and some praise from Jon Favreau inside.

Though Los Angeles is frequently called LaLaLand by our New York-based B&U staff, it is called that lovingly because it is so intertwined with the highly absurd industry of making entertainment.

New York, on the other hand, is the capitol of piracy, with over 50% of the pirated films you find on the internet and in the hands of your immigrants with DVD burners shot in New York movie houses.

That’s about to change and your pirated access to films currently in theaters is the target of new New York anti-piracy law that, for the first time, includes the threat of up to a year in jail for first time offenders.

Past that: Felony. No joke.

For recording movies!

Details on the penalties after the cut!

Word came down the trade grapevine this weekend that the McG Terminator flick, previously over-titled as Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, will be shooting for a PG-13 rating a la Live Free Or Die Hard.

Obviously, opinion is split.

The negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and the producers and money-lovers of the AMPTP have decided to meet both today and tomorrow to continue negotiations that all industry news sites have dubbed futile.

AFTRA, SAG’s annoying little sister is ready to step in on Wednesday and negotiate a deal that will work as a wedge in-between SAG and what SAG is demanding, so what does SAG do?

Reduces their demands.

What they are no longer asking for and why it’s f*cking stupid after the cut.

We’re pretty sure we can’t jinx anything by writing something on our little blog, so here it goes: let’s assume that everyone is right about Iron Man raking in the millions, launching the summer movie scene and firmly establishing Marvel as a movie studio as well as one of the big two comic producers.

What does this mean for Marvel?

Marvel’s deal with Paramount caps off at 10 films, but only two of those films must be released through Paramount. Iron Man counts as film one and The Incredible Hulk is not involved in the deal, so Marvel must make one more movie for Paramount to distribute. After that, Paramount can distribute 8 more Marvel flicks, but only if Marvel chooses to bring them to Paramount.

Think about it like this: one more Marvel movie and Marvel becomes a free agent.

Sort of. The deal with Paramount outlines that if a “Captain America” or “Nick Fury” movie is made, Paramount gets those offered to them first as the second picture in the two-picture locked deal. Also, any sequels to Paramount-released films must also find their way through the studio.

The only problem is that Marvel isn’t producing movies fast enough. No one knew that they would be able to open something as wide as Iron Man with such good tracking numbers, and Marvel must be scrambling right now to name its next property.

Because of the impending SAG strike (negotiations ended today between SAG and the AMPTP), Marvel has hesitated to announce a production date for a 2009 release, meaning that there may be absolutely NO MARVEL MOVIES IN 2009 (obviously, Marvel is not heading production on the Wolverine prequel).

If Marvel can’t get production off the ground for their next project because of an actor’s strike, you can kiss “Captain America,” “Ant Man,” “Thor,” “The Avengers,” “Nick Fury” goodbye until 2010.

Marvel only has the means to make about 2 movies per year while still keeping their TLC attitude towards their properties, so if Iron Man does well, expect an announcement on Monday from Mravel that will include the following points:

- Their stock will go up.

- They will announce their official weekend earnings.

- They will greenlight Iron Man 2 for 2010

- They will announce their next property to hit development.

Don’t expect Captain America to be the announced property, even though it would be badass. Iron Man is going t do well internationally, and Captain America isn’t exactly international fare.

We suggest jumping off the cliff headfirst and introducing Captain America as the origin story for an Avengers movie, but that’s a lot of cash to risk, especially after Justice League crashed and burned so early on.

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired was one of the big buzz documentaries at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It managed to get picked up by HBO Films for a $1 million deal, only to see a tiny release in March.

Tiny. Really tiny.

In order to qualify for an academy award, a film has to play in New York and LA for a minimum number of two screenings per day. Wanted and Desired was given it’s bare minimum run at 181st street in New York (far from the film buff districts) and in Pasadena in LA.

The film was pulled pretty damn quick and got virtually no press leading everyone to think that it had died a post-Sundance death like oh so many other projects.

Turns out that’s not true.

HBO has sold Wanted and Desired to ThinkFilm who will give it another theatrical run starting on July 11th, followed by a DVD release next year. HBO did retain the right to air it first, so subscribers will get to see the doc on June 9th.

You can read more about the content of the doc in our old Sundance coverage on its sale here.

If the first Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and that guy no one cares about anymore taught us anything it was that the Simpson family is controlled by a fame-hungry patriarch that uses his daughters as puppets regardless of the reality TV fact that couples cannot withstand the scrutiny of having to manufacture a sitcom structure in their everyday lives (this week Jessica visits a zoo!).

Did you guys see that was one long sentence? Boo-yah!

Cashing in once again on the formula that his daughters saying stupid things equals money is Papa Joe Simpson, who is rumored to be “in talks” with MTV to revive Newlyweds, this time with Ashlee and Pete Wentz.

We an see the pitch now: “It’s like Newlyweds, but these two are actually still making relevant music!” The joke not being that even her own father recognized Jessica’s fall from musical grace followed her rise to reality TV stardom, but rather that MTV probably sees Ashlee Simpson’s new album and the continuing tour of Fallout Boy to be especially relevant.

Point being, even if OK! Magazine is making this rumor up, the chances of someone reading it and thinking it’s a good idea will probably lead to talks between MTV and the Simpson camp.

It’s the same school of thought that something isn’t real until you recognize it.

And, yes, we’re shying away from the fact that the Simp/Wentz union has been doomed to end by the bride’s father. If he doesn’t have to treat them like real people, why should we?