'War Horse' Star One of Hollywood's Equine Elite

ACTON, Calif. (AP) One star of Steven Spielberg's latest epic likes to end his work day by rolling around in the dirt, kicking his legs in the air and flaring his nostrils.Finder, a 12-year-old thoroughbred, is among more than 150 equine performers featured in the Oscar-nominated "War Horse," and one of 14 who play the scene-stealing Joey. He lives on a ranch about 45 miles northeast of Hollywood with veteran horse trainer Bobby Lovgren, who oversaw all the equine action on "War Horse.""Plowing, riding, chasing you name it, it's in there," said Lovgren, who calls "War Horse" ''the biggest horse movie ever made." Lovgren is the protg of legendary Hollywood horseman Glenn Randall, who trained Roy Rogers' Trigger.Thanks to the enduring appeal of horses on screen, Lovgren, Finder and "War Horse" continue a longtime tradition of Hollywood horses that began with the earliest motion pictures."Bobby and his team literally performed miracles with the horses on this film," Spielberg said. "I wanted it to feel like the horses were performing their parts as much as (actors) Emily Watson or Peter Mullan, and that is what happened. There were times during production when the horses reacted in ways I had never imagined a horse could react. You just sit back and thank your lucky stars that these horses are so cognizant that they are able to give everything to a moment."Those moments took months of training and a 22-member team of trainers, handlers and yes, equine makeup artists.Set in England during World War I, "War Horse" centers on the enduring relationship between Joey and the farm boy who trained him. When Joey is sold to soldiers heading into battle, the horse begins a journey that brings him through various fighting factions and into the lives of soldiers and civilians who are moved by his strength and spirit.The film has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including cinematography and best picture.As the film's "horse master," Lovgren oversaw everything horse-related. His team prepared the equine actors for their various duties. Some became expert jumpers, others learned to stumble or feign a struggle. There were horses for riding and horses for pulling, and even stand-ins for the star horses while shots were being set. Lovgren's team was also responsible for teaching the actors how to ride and handle the animals."We all became incredibly attached to the horses," said cast member Patrick Kennedy. "Getting to know these horses and learning to ride them was the greatest privilege I've ever had."None of the horses are credited by name in the film, and the filmmakers wouldn't say why. Lovgren said it's not uncommon: "Sometimes they'll put a few of the horses' names, but you know, realistically, it's very difficult to say that there was one hero Joey."The trainer, whose many credits include last summer's "Cowboys & Aliens," typically spends about three months preparing his equine actors for a film shoot. He specializes in "liberty" work, meaning the horses are not restrained in any way and learn to respond to hand signals and body language.The 46-year-old horseman grew up in an equestrian family in South Africa that runs a large jumping and dressage barn. Lovgren said he didn't much enjoy the public dealings that work required, so he headed to Hollywood to learn a new type of horse training. The 23 years he's spent working in movies prepared him for the challenges of "War Horse.""All the scenes that we had to do had really all been done before in other films that I'd worked on, but never all in one. This took everything and put everything in one basket," he said. "I'm very proud of my other films, like 'Zorro' and 'Seabiscuit,' but it just has a little bit in there. The horse isn't the focal point. But in 'War Horse' it is, and it's all the time."Though Lovgren doesn't typically work with his own horses on set (he owns three, including Finder), he said he was lucky on this film that Finder was the right color. (Finder and the other horses playing Joey relied on makeup to make them look identical, with four white socks and a white star on their heads.)Lovgren met Finder while working on "Seabiscuit" and loved him so much that he bought him. The thoroughbred is more expressive than most horses, Lovgren said, which makes him an ideal movie star.Plus, he can play both genders. Finder played the mother in an early scene in the film showing the birth of Joey. That sequence and working with a foal was among the most difficult, Lovgren said. "They're very young, so you don't have much time to train them."Almost everything in "War Horse" was shot with real horses, except for a few scenes that would have caused injury to the animals. Lovgren praised Spielberg's team for their respectful approach to the horses.The toughest part of Lovgren's job isn't working with the animals, but communicating with filmmakers and other workers on set about what the horses need and what they can and can't do. Once filming begins, "it's more about communication skills than it is about training. That's something I've had to really learn," he said. "Obviously, I started working with animals because I don't work well with people (laughs), so that's been very important to learn to do that."Watching Lovgren with Finder, it's easy to see the mutual love and respect between the two. Lovgren raises his arm and the powerful animal rears up. He makes a backward motion with a whip and the horse backs up. He strikes the whip on the ground and Finder bangs his hoof into the dirt. Lovgren throws a piece of wood two dozen yards away, and Finder runs to it and stands on his mark.Lovgren doesn't train with treats, because "if you go on set and someone walks by with an apple, what's he going to do then?"Instead, the animal's reward is "I leave him alone," Lovgren said. Still, Finder stands confidently by his side.So with all the challenges of "War Horse," is it harder working with four-legged performers or two-legged Hollywood types?"I'm not going to answer that!" Lovgren said with a smile. "We all know that answer, but I'm not going to answer that."Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By Sandy Cohen January 25, 2012 PHOTO CREDIT AP Photo/Matt Sayles ACTON, Calif. (AP) One star of Steven Spielberg's latest epic likes to end his work day by rolling around in the dirt, kicking his legs in the air and flaring his nostrils.Finder, a 12-year-old thoroughbred, is among more than 150 equine performers featured in the Oscar-nominated "War Horse," and one of 14 who play the scene-stealing Joey. He lives on a ranch about 45 miles northeast of Hollywood with veteran horse trainer Bobby Lovgren, who oversaw all the equine action on "War Horse.""Plowing, riding, chasing you name it, it's in there," said Lovgren, who calls "War Horse" ''the biggest horse movie ever made." Lovgren is the protg of legendary Hollywood horseman Glenn Randall, who trained Roy Rogers' Trigger.Thanks to the enduring appeal of horses on screen, Lovgren, Finder and "War Horse" continue a longtime tradition of Hollywood horses that began with the earliest motion pictures."Bobby and his team literally performed miracles with the horses on this film," Spielberg said. "I wanted it to feel like the horses were performing their parts as much as (actors) Emily Watson or Peter Mullan, and that is what happened. There were times during production when the horses reacted in ways I had never imagined a horse could react. You just sit back and thank your lucky stars that these horses are so cognizant that they are able to give everything to a moment."Those moments took months of training and a 22-member team of trainers, handlers and yes, equine makeup artists.Set in England during World War I, "War Horse" centers on the enduring relationship between Joey and the farm boy who trained him. When Joey is sold to soldiers heading into battle, the horse begins a journey that brings him through various fighting factions and into the lives of soldiers and civilians who are moved by his strength and spirit.The film has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including cinematography and best picture.As the film's "horse master," Lovgren oversaw everything horse-related. His team prepared the equine actors for their various duties. Some became expert jumpers, others learned to stumble or feign a struggle. There were horses for riding and horses for pulling, and even stand-ins for the star horses while shots were being set. Lovgren's team was also responsible for teaching the actors how to ride and handle the animals."We all became incredibly attached to the horses," said cast member Patrick Kennedy. "Getting to know these horses and learning to ride them was the greatest privilege I've ever had."None of the horses are credited by name in the film, and the filmmakers wouldn't say why. Lovgren said it's not uncommon: "Sometimes they'll put a few of the horses' names, but you know, realistically, it's very difficult to say that there was one hero Joey."The trainer, whose many credits include last summer's "Cowboys & Aliens," typically spends about three months preparing his equine actors for a film shoot. He specializes in "liberty" work, meaning the horses are not restrained in any way and learn to respond to hand signals and body language.The 46-year-old horseman grew up in an equestrian family in South Africa that runs a large jumping and dressage barn. Lovgren said he didn't much enjoy the public dealings that work required, so he headed to Hollywood to learn a new type of horse training. The 23 years he's spent working in movies prepared him for the challenges of "War Horse.""All the scenes that we had to do had really all been done before in other films that I'd worked on, but never all in one. This took everything and put everything in one basket," he said. "I'm very proud of my other films, like 'Zorro' and 'Seabiscuit,' but it just has a little bit in there. The horse isn't the focal point. But in 'War Horse' it is, and it's all the time."Though Lovgren doesn't typically work with his own horses on set (he owns three, including Finder), he said he was lucky on this film that Finder was the right color. (Finder and the other horses playing Joey relied on makeup to make them look identical, with four white socks and a white star on their heads.)Lovgren met Finder while working on "Seabiscuit" and loved him so much that he bought him. The thoroughbred is more expressive than most horses, Lovgren said, which makes him an ideal movie star.Plus, he can play both genders. Finder played the mother in an early scene in the film showing the birth of Joey. That sequence and working with a foal was among the most difficult, Lovgren said. "They're very young, so you don't have much time to train them."Almost everything in "War Horse" was shot with real horses, except for a few scenes that would have caused injury to the animals. Lovgren praised Spielberg's team for their respectful approach to the horses.The toughest part of Lovgren's job isn't working with the animals, but communicating with filmmakers and other workers on set about what the horses need and what they can and can't do. Once filming begins, "it's more about communication skills than it is about training. That's something I've had to really learn," he said. "Obviously, I started working with animals because I don't work well with people (laughs), so that's been very important to learn to do that."Watching Lovgren with Finder, it's easy to see the mutual love and respect between the two. Lovgren raises his arm and the powerful animal rears up. He makes a backward motion with a whip and the horse backs up. He strikes the whip on the ground and Finder bangs his hoof into the dirt. Lovgren throws a piece of wood two dozen yards away, and Finder runs to it and stands on his mark.Lovgren doesn't train with treats, because "if you go on set and someone walks by with an apple, what's he going to do then?"Instead, the animal's reward is "I leave him alone," Lovgren said. Still, Finder stands confidently by his side.So with all the challenges of "War Horse," is it harder working with four-legged performers or two-legged Hollywood types?"I'm not going to answer that!" Lovgren said with a smile. "We all know that answer, but I'm not going to answer that."Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Lea Michele to Guest Mentor on Glee Project Premiere

Lea Michele Lea Michele will appear as a mentor on the season premiere of The Glee Project, Oxygen announced Monday. The competition series, which began filming Season 2 last week, features 14 contenders trying to score a guest role on Glee. Michele stars on the Fox series as Rachel Berry, for which she's earned an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations. The Glee Project to return for second season The Glee Project will premiere in the summer on Oxygen.

'Bel Ami,' 'Haywire' to unspool in Berlin

BERLIN -- Taylor Lautner starrer "Bel Ami" and Steven Soderbergh's spy actioner "Haywire" are going to the Berlin Film Festival. "Bel Ami," Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod's feature debut, also stars Christina Ricci, Uma Thurman and Kristin Scott Thomas. An adaptation from the novel by Guy p Maupassant, the pic stories a youthful scoundrel's rise to energy in Paris through his manipulation of influential and wealthy women. "Haywire," which stars mma star Gina Carano together with a large-title cast which includes Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender, follows a black operations soldier searching for revenge. Both films will unspool from competition within the Berlinale's primary program. Also screening from competition are Hark Tsui's three dimensional actioner "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate," starring Jet Li, and James Marsh's Northern Ireland drama "Shadow Dancer," with Clive Owen, Andrea Riseborough and Gillian Anderson. The game titles are among seven new films selected for that Berlinale's primary Competition selection, that is approaching completion. To date 22 films happen to be introduced, 17 which are competing for that Golden and Silver Bears. A maximum of 18 films will celebrate their world premieres within the Competition section. Further competition choices include Frederic Videau's French drama "Returning Home,Inch Nikolaj Arcel's "A Royal Affair," starring Mads Mikkelsen, and Kim Nguyen's Canadian title "Rebelle." The Berlinale runs February. 9-19. Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

Disney taps Ricky Strauss head of marketing

StraussFormer Participant Media prexy Ricky Strauss has been named head of marketing for Walt Disney Studios.Strauss, who also spent 16 years as a marketing and production exec at Sony, succeeds MT Carney, who announced her departure last week after a rocky 18-month tenure.Strauss will oversee global marketing for promotions, publicity, research and synergy across all distribution channels for motion pictures released under the Walt Disney Pictures (including Walt Disney Animation and Pixar Animation), Marvel Studios, and Touchstone Pictures banners, including DreamWorks Studios pics released through Touchstone.Strauss had worked with the Disney team in recent months in overseeing marketing and outreach for the Touchstone-distribbed DreamWorks' hit "The Help.""I am happy to welcome Ricky Strauss to The Walt Disney Studios family. With 25 years of industry experience, he brings a deep understanding of all aspects of the film business as well as incredible skill in branding and cutting-edge marketing," said Disney Studios chairman Ross. "He will undoubtedly raise the studios' creative bar as we enter 2012 and look ahead at showcasing a spectacular slate of films to audiences around the world."Said Strauss: "Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and DreamWorks Studios are among the world's best and brightest brands," said Strauss. "I look forward now to getting to work with the exceptional team at Disney, doing some of the most innovative marketing in the industry."It comes as no surprise that Carney's replacement has a deep resume in the film biz. Strauss previously worked as a senior marketing executive and senior veep of production at Columbia/TriStar Pictures. The appointment of Carney, a marketing vet who was schooled in new media but had no film background, turned out to be a major misstep for Disney. She was one of Ross' first major hires, appointed in April 2010, on the heels of his promotion from Disney Channels Worldwide boss to the film studio chief post in October 2009.Before joining Participant in 2005, Strauss founded Sony-based Ricochet Entertainment, where he exec produced the Cameron Diaz film "The Sweetest Thing," among other projects.When Carney was hired two years ago, skeptics questioned whether a person without a background in studio marketing could fill the role. Rumors of her exit began almost immediately, but studio execs repeatedly said they were happy with her work. Since she signed on, "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides" passed $1 billion worldwide, while "Cars 2" hit more than $500 million but there were also flops such as "Mars Needs Moms."Strauss comes on board with elaborate campaign for sci-fier "John Carter" already in place with a March 9 launch. Key upcoming titles for Disney are Marvel's "The Avengers" on May 4, Pixar's "Brave" on June 12, "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" on Aug. 15, Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie" on Oct. 5 and "Wreck-it Ralph" on Nov. 2. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

'Protocol' tops B.O. with $38.3 mil

'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol'With up-to-date four-day figures, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" maintained its No. 1 position in the domestic box office, posting an believed $38.3 million through Monday for any Stateside cume of $141.two million. In second place, "A Virtual Detective: A Game Title of Shadows" totalled a modified $26.5 million from Friday to Monday. The Warners pic presently has obtained $136.5 million locally. "Ghost Protocol" -- the vacation B.O.'s top-grossing pic globally (at $366.5 million) -- assisted Componen become 2011's studio marketshare champion. In the Stateside B.O., the studio arrived at $1.96 billion throughout this past year, while worldwide, Componen hit $3.21 billion, which makes it the very first studio ever to exceed the $3 billion mark in overseas grosses throughout just one year. New Year's weekend box office saw fine four-day perfs from additional holdovers. Fox's "Alvin and also the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" made within the lengthy weekend a good believed $21 million, adopted carefully by Disney-DreamWorks' "War Equine," which collected $19.two million in four days. "Alvin" has cumed $97.4 million locally "War Equine," $45.two million. Meanwhile, The new sony-MGM's "The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo" obtained a detailed fifth-place ranking $19 million through Monday, pushing its Stateside cume beyond the $60 million mark. The weekend's niche gamers also capitalized around the holiday's increased moviegoing (overall four-day totals were up roughly 15% within the same frame this past year). The Weinstein Co.'s "The Iron Lady" obtained the sesh's best per-screen average, with $70,102 from four U.S. locations. Pic has published an overall total $280,409 through Monday, while Weinstein's some of the best player, "The Artist," surpassed $5 million in domestic grosses. In comparison, Focus Features' "Mess Tailor Soldier Spy" is outperforming "The Artist" on the theater-by-theater basis, having a Stateside cume of $4.3 million. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com