Imax taps former Paramount exec Cripps

Former Paramount Intl. prexy Andrew Cripps has been tapped Imax president of operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Cripps will handle local expansion and distribution opportunities in those regions. As part of the appointment, Cripps was also made exec VP of Imax Corp. "Given Andrew's leadership, vast industry experience and strong relationships with exhibitors and studios, we believe he is well equipped to help us maximize the growth opportunities that exist in the under-penetrated markets of EMEA," said Imax CEO Richard Gelfond. "I have known and worked with Andrew for many years," Imax chairman and prexy Greg Foster said, "and hold him in the highest regard both personally and professionally." Based in London, Cripps headed Par Intl. since 2007 but opted not to stay with the studio after it moved to consolidate most of its international operations to Los Angeles. Prior to joining, Cripps served as prexy and chief operating officer for UIP, the former distribution joint venture between Par and Universal. Imax currently operates 96 theaters in EMEA, of which the majority are commercial plexes, with an additional 33 theaters scheduled to open throughout the region by 2014. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Auditions for Toronto Debut of 'Honeymoon in Vegas' Musical Introduced

The completely new Broadway-bound musical "Honeymoon in Vegas" will debut in Toronto incorporated in Mirvish Productions' 2012-13 season, and auditions for your world premiere production are simply introduced.Tony Danza ("Taxi," "Who's in control?In .) will star just like a Vegas wiseguy inside the show, which is founded on the 1992 movie of the title starring Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, and James Caan. The musical notifies the story from the reluctant groom whose bride-to-be is courted by Tommy (Danza). T.R. Dark evening and Mary Faber carried out charge couple, opposite Danza, in the backer's audition last fall in NY City.The Toronto production is predicted to start in November and close to the coast late The month of the month of january, just before the musical moves to Broadway in the year of 2013. The musical features music and lyrics by Tony Award-champion Jason Robert Brown ("Parade") together with a magazine by Andrew Bergman, who written and directed the film. Danza has came out on Broadway inside the Mel Brooks' musical "The Producers" too as with the 1997 output of "A View within the Bridge."Casting company company directors Jim Carnahan and Stephen Kopel holds Equity principal auditions on Thursday, February 23 and Friday, February 24 in NY City. To find out more and audition particulars, begin to see the full casting notice on BackStage.com. (Subscription needed.)Carnahan's recent Broadway casting credits include "The Mountaintop," "Around the Apparent Day You Will See Forever," "Jerusalem," and "Anything Goes."

'French Family' shuts sales

Paris-based Wide Management has closed a group of key territory deals on Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr's dramedy "Sexual Stories of the French Family."Pic was grabbed up by IFC Films for The United States, Metrodome for that U.K., Pierrot Le Fou-Alamode for Germany, Fine Films for Japan and Line Tree Entertainment for Columbia. Deals cover all privileges.Clementine Hugo, Wide Management's mind of worldwide sales and purchases, stated she was closing Russia and it has received offers using their company areas.Pic, that will screen in the EFM today and Monday, handles a French family that's switched upside lower once the youngest child is caught self pleasuring in biology class.Wide Management has additionally taken worldwide sales privileges to Serbian Maja Milos' feature debut "Klip," a Rotterdam standout that nabbed the Tiger Award and also the Nederlander film critics' KNF jerk, and triggered some debate using its depiction of postwar Serbian teens. Film House's Bas Celik created. Hugo's team has offered the pic to Vladimir Kokh and Gregoire Marchal's French distribution outfit KMBO. Wide Management will host "Klip's" EFM tests on Monday and Tuesday. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Exhibitor Herb Burton dies

Exhibition industry veteran Herb Burton, who was executive director of ShoWest for 21 years, died of complications from Alzheimer's disease in La Jolla, Calif., on Jan. 25. He was 83. Burton started in the exhibition business in 1960 as a snack bar attendant in Ontario, Calif., at the Valley Drive-In Theater, owned by the DeAnza Land and Leisure Co.; he eventually worked his way up to city manager in San Diego for the company. In 1974 Bob Selig recruited Burton to help out by volunteering his services for a group comprising theater owners from 13 Western states dubbed Exhibitors West. The group's first convention was held in San Diego in 1975, and the event was later moved to Las Vegas in 1978. By 1982 the name changed to ShoWest, a subsidiary of the National Assn. of Theaters Owners of California/Nevada, and in 1984 Burton was named ShoWest executive director -- a position he held until 2000, when the convention was sold to the Nielsen Co. In 2000, Burton became a cinema consultant. He also did volunteer work. Survivors include a son and three daughters; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and his significant other for 10 years, Diane Mansfield. Donations may be made to the Will Rogers Foundation or the Motion Picture Television Fund. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

JWoww to Chris Christie: We're Just Trying to Help Your Economy

Jenni "Jwoww" Farley and Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi Things are getting political with the cast of the Jersey Shore - especially when it comes to the governor of their beloved state, Chris Christie."He calls us buffoons and degenerates. And [says] we have no education. He's totally wrong," Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi told TVGuide.com on Wednesday, after tweeting about how she won't be voting for him.* "I wish he would meet us first. I can't believe people like that are in the government."Jersey Shore's Snooki reveals dramatic weight lossSnooki's co-star, Jenni J-Woww Farley, feels that Christie, long an outspoken critic of the MTV stars, should actually be thanking them."It is known publicly that we brought close to $500 million into Jersey," she says. "We wanted to help the economy. We wanted to help the police and the teachers out there. And we did, and we're proud of it."Jersey Shore's Deena on Vinny's departure and why she turned down Season 1The duo wants to meet Christie one day in hopes of proving they're not the "buffoons" he's described them as. But in the meantime, they have a message for him: "Go eat another cannoli," Farley says. "We're just trying to help your economy. The money we're getting for you guys, you're using to help your state. It baffles me."*Of note: Chris Christie announced he had no intentions of running for President back in October

Russell Brand looking for 'Hauntrepreneur'

BrandRussell Brand is mounted on star within the Vital and Platinum Dunes pic "The Hauntrepreneur." Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Kaira Larger will produce for Platinum.The storyline involves a household which has trouble modifying to a different town and employs a peculiar guy who calls themself the Hauntrepreneur to assist them to. So that they can bring them together, the guy produces a haunted house full of a strange cast of figures. Componen didn't have discuss the casting.Componen acquired the spec from Scott Rosenberg in October and can now turn to lock lower a director.Platinum Dunes has not were built with a pic in theaters since its remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street"this year, but looks to remain busy in 2012.The shingle is creating "Vigilandia" with Jason Blum for Universal and it is near to getting "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" off the floor.For Brand, he is visible next in Warner Bros. and New Line's "Rock of Age range" and it is presently focusing on a unique untitled series for Forex, that they can also be slated to create. He's also likely to start production around the Untitled Diablo Cody film for Mandate.He's repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham and manager Nik Linnen.. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

King crowns Butterfield

ButterfieldGK Films is betting big on youth -- specifically 14-year-old "Hugo" star Asa Butterfield. The banner, which produced "Hugo," has signed Butterfield to an overall two-year deal to develop projects in which the Brit thesp would star.Butterfield built a relationship with producer Graham King during "Hugo," which won the NationalBoard of Review and is among the leading award season contenders.Butterfield garnered notice for toplining 2008's "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" opposite Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis. Other feature credits include "Son of Rambow," "The Wolfman" and "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" while his TV credits include a recurring role on the BBC series, "Merlin."Butterfield closed a deal in November to star as the title character in "Ender's Game," Odd Lot Entertainment's adaptation of Orson Scott Card's 1985 sci-fi novel. Gavin Hood ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine") is directing the pic, which Summit has set for a March 15, 2013 release.GK Films is developing an adaptation of "Jersey Boys," the untitled Freddie Mercury story, an original screenplay by Robert Towne of "The Battle of Britain" and "Little White Corvette" with Emma Stone set to star. Butterfield is repped by CAA and Independent in the UK. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com