William May dies at 95

William F. May, a corporate executive who was key to the founding of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, died of congestive heart failure on Sunday, Sept. 18, in Greenwich, Conn. He was 95. May presided over a long period of expansion at the American Can Co., retiring from the company in 1980. He was later named dean of the NYU business school and was a longtime member of the board at the NY Times Co. At Lincoln Center, the executive was elected to the board in 1967 and tasked with building up the organization's young film department, founded in 1963. May's role was to raise the money while others, Amos Vogel and Richard Roud, tended to creative matters. Crises bedeviled the org in its early years; Vogel, director of the film committee and its festival, resigned after Lincoln Center withdrew its financial support in 1968. But after securing new sources of funding the following year, May, together with two other Lincoln Center execs, founded the Film Society of Lincoln Center, elevating cinema to a place among the other arts to which the complex was dedicated. William Frederick May was born in Chicago and earned degrees in chemical engineering and organic chemistry from the U. of Chicago, among other institutions. He spent more than four decades at American Can. Survivors include his wife, Kathleen; two daughters; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

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Oscars 2012: 'There's Nobody Better' Than Eddie Murphy, States Brett Ratner

FROM MTV MOVIES: The American public might no more be convinced about Eddie Murphy's lengthy lasting comedy gifts, good quantity of folks that bought tickets to "SupposeInch and "Meet Dork." Even Eddie Murphy might no more be convinced about Eddie Murphy's lengthy lasting comedy gifts. Just one guy with no such doubt is Brett Ratner, who's creating the 2012 Academy awards which has attracted on Murphy to host. "In my opinion there's without doubt relating to this. He's the best,Inch Ratner told us Sunday evening within the Emmy Honours about Eddie coping with the gig and slaying everybody else. "My first idea was the show required to make use of the direction more comedy getting just one host, and there's nobody better on that stage than Eddie Murphy." "I had been elevated watching 'Raw' and 'Delirious' and like a large fan of him," Ratner added. "He's a massive celebrity. He's huge worldwide appeal. There's nobody better. He's an expert. The guy can be a professional." See the full story at MTV Movies!

Director Eduardo Sanchez talks Blair Witch 3

Eduardo Sanchez, who co-directed the original The Blair Witch Project with Daniel Myrick, has spoken about the possibility of returning with a third film in the series.In a chat with Bloody Disgusting, Sanchez gave an update on the status of Blair Witch 3, saying, "It's completely up to Lionsgate."Dan and I are ready to do it. We've been toying around with a sequel idea that we really like. It's just a matter of getting our schedules in line and having Lionsgate sign off on the idea. We've been ready to do a Blair Witch movie for a long time. We're as close as we've ever been to making it happen but it's still not a guaranteed thing."He also made it clear that the third instalment would categorically ignore the risible sequel, telling BD, "I actually liked the sequel but at the same time it exists in a world outside of the movie. So if we want to do a sequel to Blair Witch Project, we have to stay in that world, which Book Of Shadows didn't stay in that world."Book Of Shadows created a different world. It's like if the sequel to Jaws started with shots of people lined up to see Jaws in the movie theatre. For Book Of Shadows it worked in a certain way but to me my biggest gripe with Artisan was you shouldn't have called it Blair Witch 2."It would've been fine to call it Blair Witch Chronicles. It wasn't really a sequel to our movie. So [Part 3] would be a direct sequel to our film living in that mythology of Burkittsville, being possessed, haunted by something."He added a couple more interesting nuggets of intrigue, claiming, "Right now, the idea has no first person in it at all, but we'll see... There's always room for new ideas to come in."Sanchez also added that the three main actors/characters are expected to return, stating, "The plan is to have them [back]... They're probably not going to be the main characters but they're definitely characters in the sequel."It's still hard to imagine a genuinely decent Blair Witch sequel. Not only because Book Of Shadows was so dire, but mainly because any extension of the story risks destroying the authentic chills and mystery of the original.Sánchez has directed a handful of films in the last few years, although none have had the impact of Blair Witch. His latest horror, Lovely Molly, has just premiered in the US.

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Tim Goodman's Fall DVR List

John Wells is getting locked up with Bad Girls.our editor recommends5 Questions for John Wells The one-hour drama project, which revolves around inmates in a women's prison, received a put pilot commitment from the network.It's based on the UK series by the same name, which was created by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus and co-devised by Eileen Gallagher. Nancy Pimental (Shameless)isattached to write and executive produce the project, which hails from Warner Brothers Television, John Wells Productions and Shed Media. Wells and Andrew Stearn will serve as executive producers. This follows a flurry of sales for John Wells Productions this development season, including a 1970's hour-long mother/daughter comedy (ABC), an untitled high concept drama (ABC) and Easy Rawlins at NBC. On the cable side, the shingle is developing Dope at HBO and the untitled Kip Koenig project for TNT. Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose Related Topics NBC John Wells TV Development

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'Drive' Unscripted: Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn Response to Jesus

Is the worst 'Unscripted' ever? Ryan Gosling is afraid it may be, but Moviefone HQ type of loves it. The clumsiness begins in the beginning -- as Gosling and 'Drive' director Nicolas Winding Refn ('Valhalla Rising,' 'Bronson') declare their fascination with one another -- and develops after that. They area an issue from Jesus in Santa Further ed, N.M. ("You'd think Jesus would know [the solution]," Gosling observes), discuss their bro-mance and telekinetic connection, and dispute who emerged using the idea to possess Gosling hug co-star Carey Mulligan. There's much more amusing weirdness within the video, so click play and revel in, you should also take a look at 'Drive,' which opens wide a few days ago. Embed in your site:

Cannavale gets the 'Girl'

Bobby Canavale has booked his next stage gig, signing on to co-star in the upcoming Broadway revival of "Funny Girl." Thesp, who won plaudits for his perf in "The Motherfucker With the Hat" last season, will play Nick Arnstein, the gambler with whom the title character, on-the-rise legit star Fanny Brice, falls in love. Lauren Ambrose will play Fanny. Bartlett Sher ("South Pacific") helms the revival, which will have a tryout run at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles early next year. Center Theater Group produces the L.A. run alongside the project's commercial producers: Bob Boyett, Sonia Friedman Prods., Jean Doumanian, Stacey Mindich and Tim Levy. Canavale also appeared in Theresa Rebeck play "Mauritius" on the Main Stem as well as in an Off Broadway revival of "Hurlyburly." Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

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Camerimage to honor John Seale

Cinematographer John Seale, best known for his Oscar-winning work with the late Anthony Minghella ("The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley") and fellow Aussie Peter Weir ("Witness," "Dead Poets Society") will receive the Golden Frog Award for career achievement at the Plus Camerimage Festival, which is dedicated to the art of cinematography. The 18th annual fest in Bydgoszcz, Poland, runs Nov. 26-Dec. 3. His work will be celebrated with the screening of a handful of films at the weeklong event, as well as a limited edition book published by Camerimage. The fest, which attracts the cream of the d.p. crop from throughout the world, features three cinematography competitions: the main bar, student films and Polish films. Seale, part of the Australian New Wave of the '70s that propelled a slew of Down Under filmmakers to migrate to Hollywood, worked as a camera operator on such early Weir works as "Picnic at Hanging Rock," "The Last Wave" and "Gallipoli." His subsequent d.p. credits included "Rain Man," "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "The Tourist." Contact Steve Chagollan at steve.chagollan@variety.com