'Incredibly Close' encounters

WB's Lynn Harris and Jeff Robinov flank Stephen Daldry.Tom Hanks, Thomas Horn and Sandra Bullock reteam for an "Extremely Loud" preem. Jeffrey Wright and Viola Davis party at 583 Park.Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock get star billing but play supporting roles in Warner's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close."At Thursday's Ziegfeld preem, Hanks surmised, "I just say yes to the role and the marketing department has fist fights about everything else." He took the brief role of a father who perishes in 9/11 "because of the source material and what it was trying to do. The whole gamble is, Are we right on time? Are we too early? Or too late? It's Stephen Daldry's responsibility to make sure we've made a movie that is worthy of being made."Bullock wondered rhetorically, "Absolutely, it's a supporting role, but you saw the film. Did you doubt my decision?" She paused briefly. "Exactly! It's the director, the story, the timing. Timing is everything! It felt like the thing I wanted to be part of."For the pic's real leading player, Thomas Horn, billing was the last thing on his mind, "The big surprise was that I was cast in the first place, frankly. Two years ago I had no idea I would be an actor," said the 14-year-old thesp.After the preem, at 583 Park Avenue, Gayle King proved to be the social butterfly of the party, chatting up Rita Wilson and Christiane Amanpour in the Hanks section before segueing to a talk with pic's Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Best Performances of 2011: From Uggie to Rooney Mara, the Top 11 in '11

As 2011 winds down, Moviefone has offered you every form of best-of lists, including the sublime (the 50 best movies of 2011) and the surreal (best top movies?). Next up on the countdown? The best performances of the year! From the traditional (Meryl as Margaret Thatcher) to the untraditional (Uggie the dog), 2011 was chockablock with great work from actors and actresses. Ahead, the 11 best of the year. Feel free to disagree and/or add your own favorites in the comments below! Best Performances of 2011 11. Uggie, 'The Artist'10. Corey Stoll, 'Midnight in Paris'9. Ryan Gosling, 'Drive'8. Kristen Wiig, 'Bridesmaids'7. Michelle Williams, 'My Week With Marilyn'6. Meryl Streep, 'The Iron Lady'5. Michael Fassbender, 'Shame'4. Albert Brooks, 'Drive'3. Charlize Theron, 'Young Adult'2. Brad Pitt, 'Moneyball'1. Rooney Mara, 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' See All Moviefone Galleries » For more on the best of 2011, visit AOL's Best of 2011. Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Aware of 'Potter'

"Harry Potter's" Evanna Lynch, Oliver Phelps and James Phelps rally around Jean Sanders and WB's Ron Sanders at Monday's Variety Home Theatre Hall of Fame Gala in the Beverly Hillsides Hotel."Harry Potter's" Evanna Lynch, Oliver Phelps and James Phelps rally around Jean Sanders and WB's Ron Sanders at Monday's Variety Home Theatre Hall of Fame Gala in the Beverly Hillsides Hotel.

Alan Cumming Flattered By Idea Of Eli Gold Good Wife Spin-Off

First Published: December 1, 2011 3:45 PM EST Credit: Getty Images LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Alan Cumming arrives at BAFTA Los Angeles 2011 Britannia Awards at The Beverly Hilton hotel, Beverly Hills, on November 30, 2011Alan Cummings performance as Eli Gold on CBS The Good Wife has been so delightful, it has left many wondering if it could lead to a spin-off for the character from the popular Sunday night show. A lot of people have said that, Alan told Access Hollywood on Wednesday evening at the BAFTA Britannia Awards in Los Angeles. I kind of think [the reason] why he works so well is [because of] how he affects the other parts of the story and other characters reactions to him. Its very flattering that people think he should have another of his own thing. But while the idea of an Eli Gold show is flattering, Alan said he is pleased to be part of the ensemble, which includes Julianna Marguiles, Josh Charles, Archie Panjabi and Christine Baranski. I just roll with the punches. Im enjoying where I am right now, he said. Alan hosted Wednesdays BAFTA event, which honored actors including Warren Beatty and Ben Stiller, and he was pleased to be master of ceremonies. I think its such a great thing because its everyones body of work, Alan told Access. Its not just for like a film thats been heavily marketed or pushed. Its not fad-dy, you know what I mean? A lot of award ceremonies are. The award season itself is really Its about someones whole life. All the people that are being nominated have made such huge contributions, really over a great number of years, and some of them arent that old. Some of them are. Its just lovely. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tom Cruise Organizing 'We Mortals Are' for Warner Bros.

Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images Tom Cruise can be a guy who likes to stay busy. With two films inside the can (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Rock old range), one filming (One Shot) and also the other (Horizons) arranged next, Cruise is strengthening his fascination with starring inside the Warner Bros. sci-fi actionerWe Mortals Are, with discussions prone to begin soon. THR first reported noisy . Octoberthat the actor was speaking for the studio and director Doug Liman in regards to the project. ANALYSIS:Why Tom Cruise Still Matters inside the Film Industry Good 2004 Japanese graphic novelAll You Will Need Is Killby Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Yoshitoshi Abe, the film may have Cruise playing a soldier safeguarding Earth from attacking aliens. Destroyed in fight, he's then stuck presently loop that creates him to see again tomorrow over and over while getting strength and skill each time while he tries to change his fate. Dante Harper and Joby Harold written the modified script. PHOTOS: Tom Cruise, David Blaine and 'South Park's' Most Well-known Spoofs The CAA-repped Cruise has Ghost Protocol striking theaters December 21 and Rock of Agesopening in June. With Vital's One Shot shooting let us concentrate on a February 2013 release, and Universal's Horizons arranged to start production inside the year for just about any summer season 2013 opening, Cruise could certainly film Mortals next summer season. Oddly for Cruise, who likes to mix roles and genres, Horizons which we Mortals Are usually involve sci-fi designs and conceits together with a soldier fighting an alien race. Tom Cruise

ABC Originates Taxies Having A Deal To Enhance Its Back burner Audience In New york city

After I have a taxi It's my job to switch off the intrusiveTV screen on the rear of the motive force’s chair. But many individuals don’t, and that's why they’re appealing to marketers — and also the folks at ABC who just introduced that they'll sell advertisements and supply clips of programmingto about 10,000 cabs that receive video from Creative Mobile Technologies. The agreement, that takes impact on The month of january 1, includes 6,600 New york city cabs and “significantly grows the development possibilities ahead for the taxi TV programming and advertising business, states Dork Davis, Leader and Gm of WABC-TV in NY. The businesses state that “ABCs substantial and growing presence in Occasions Square will afford myriad complete possibilities with CMTs in-taxi media.” (Uh-oh.) Cabs within the The Big Apple that receive programming from CMTwill offerlocal news and weather up-to-date four occasions each day, andnews-you-can-use features. The loop starts shortly afterthedriver flicks the meter. The offer also covers CMT-affiliated cabs in Chicago, Bay Area, Boston, Anaheim, Might, Colorado, Columbus, and Charlotte now. The businesses state that the agreement will “lay the footwork for further expansion into new marketplaces…in the approaching several weeks.” They didn’t disclose financial terms.