Rose Freeman dies at 82

Rose Freeman, an actress under the name Joan Taylor who later managed the "Hawaii Five-O" property created by her husband, writer-producer Leonard Freeman, died of natural causes in Santa Monica on Sunday, March 4. She was 82. Freeman started her career as a performer at the Pasadena Playhouse, where she met Leonard when both worked in a production of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan." Under the name Joan Taylor, she starred in such science fiction films as "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" and "20 Million Miles to Earth" and Westerns including "Rose Marie," "Apache Woman" and "War Paint." On TV she played Milly Scott on "The Rifleman," starring alongside Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford, and guested on numerous other shows. After Leonard's death in 1974, Freeman transitioned into managing the "Hawaii Five-O" property; the original series ran from 1968-80, followed by runs in syndication and a CBS series remake that premiered in 2010. Freeman was also a writer. She penned an episode of "Family" in 1979, and a novel she wrote was adapted into the 1983 telepic "An Invasion of Privacy." She was also one of the writers on the 1997 romantic comedy feature "Fools Rush In" and adapted a book for the 2002 telepic "Heart of a Stranger." Rose Marie Emma was born in Lake Forest, Ill. Her mother, Amelia Berky, was a vaudeville star in the 1920s; her father, who had been a prop man in Hollywood, moved to Lake Forest to manage a movie theater. She graduated from the Chicago National Assn. of Dancing Masters and headed to Los Angeles when she was 18 to become an actress. Freeman is survived by three daughters, two brothers and six grandchildren. Donations may be made to Leo Baeck Temple, 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 or Skirball Hospice, 6345 Balboa Blvd., Suite 213, Encino, CA 91316. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Not so long ago Bosses on Splitting Up Snow Whitened, Prince Charming and much more Burning Questions

Another person in Cougar Town's cul-p-sac crew may fly the coop. Serta Byrd, who plays Courteney Cox's boy around the ABC comedy, has signed onto star in Louis C.K.'s untitled CBS comedy, Deadline reviews. The pilot informs the storyline of several youthful people attempting to follow... Find Out More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Serta ByrdLouis C.K.Courteney CoxJosh HopkinsCougar Town

Lucy Liu To Experience Watson In CBS Modern A Virtual Detective Pilot Elementary

The title is Watson, Joan Watson. Lucy Liu is placed to experience A Virtual Detective’ partner in CBS’ drama pilot Elementary, whose tweaks to Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic include switching Watson’s gender to female. The project, compiled by Robert Doherty, is occur current day and stars Jonny Lee Burns as eccentric Brit A Virtual Detective, an old consultant to Scotland Yard whose addiction problems brought him to some rehab center in NY City. Just from rehab, Holmes now lives in Brooklyn with “sober companion” Joan Watson (Liu), an old surgeon who lost her license following a patient died, while talking to for that NYPD. Michael Cuesta is pointing the pilot, created by CBS TV Galleries and Timberman/Beverly. Ally McBeal alumna Liu, who had 2 aircraft pilots competing on her, is recurring around the current season from the TNT cop drama Southland and can next be observed in the featureMan Using The Iron Fists.

Suit vs. SAG merger seeks trial, damages

With ballots beginning to hit members' mailboxes, opponents of the SAG-AFTRA merger have amended their lawsuit against SAG to ask for a jury trial and monetary damages. Move comes a week after the four-count civil complaint was filed in Los Angeles. Plaintiffs allege the Screen Actors Guild and its leaders are attempting to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists "without conducting the necessary due diligence." SAG has labeled the suit "a clear attempt at circumventing the will of the membership" and "a public relations stunt" and has moved to dismiss it.Plaintiffs' attorney David Casselman of Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten told Variety that SAG is spending more than $2.5 million on the merger. Ballots are being mailed to 120,000 SAG members and 70,000 AFTRA members, touting the combo as giving performers more bargaining clout. To be approved, the merger must receive at least 60% of the votes from each union.The suit is aimed at preventing SAG from counting the votes on March 30. The amended complaint alleges that the plaintiffs had requested a delay in spending until SAG fulfilled its own fiduciary rules."The individual defendants intentionally and knowingly refused to abide by the SAG constitutional requirements, board resolutions and their fiduciary obligations to the members," the complaint said. "They should now be obligated to reimburse SAG for all funds expended, whether by staff or for otherwise, for time and expense associated with this unnecessary and improper merger effort."The lawsuit, filed by more than 60 SAG members including Martin Sheen and Ed Harris, also contends that SAG is violating its own rules by not conducting a comprehensive analysis of combining the SAG and AFTRA pension and health plans -- which are operated separately from the unions and overseen by union-industry boards. The unions' summary of the feasibility study, containing opinions of seven attorneys with experience in the field, noted that several hundred multi-employer pensions have merged over the past 25 years and that there is no legal obstacle to merging the SAG and AFTRA pension and health plans.Monday's filings by the opponents included a declaration by Alex H. Brucker, an attorney with three decades of experience in employee pension and health plans, that blasted SAG for asserting that merging the unions and the plans would "only benefit" participants and that "merger is the best way to protect our benefits.""These are not supportable statements of fact," Brucker said.Merger backers contend that combining SAG and AFTRA will make it easier to combine the plans as a first step toward resolving the problem that performers face in making contributions to the separate plans and then not meeting the earnings qualifications. Brucker said in his declaration that the question of merging SAG and AFTRA is "indistinguishable" from the question of merging the plans and can't be considered separately."It is my opinion, based on my careful consideration of this issue, that a plan merger raises complex issues, could create serious problems and conflicts and could result in loss of benefits for both SAG and AFTRA members," Brucker said. "The precise impact on plan benefits (or required member and co-sponsor contributions) cannot be properly assessed without an ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) Impact Report."SAG members turned down merger proposals in 1999 and 2003 while AFTRA members supported both combos.Casselman also filed a declaration by Patrick Byrnes, president of Actuarial Consultants, who asserted that the existing SAG pension plan is "relatively richer and more beneficial" to SAG members, than the existing AFTRA plan. "Generally speaking, based on my experience, it is not possible to merge a plan with higher benefits and a plan with lower benefits and (without additional funding) produce a joint plan providing the equivalent of the higher benefit formula for all participants," Byrnes said. He also said that without a study to determine how the pension plans would be merged, there's no way to predict the precise outcome. "But, in my experience, it is likely that the combination of the existing SAG and AFTRA plans will either require additional funding or SAG benefits would have to be reduced," Byrnes added. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Warner Bros. pulls 'Bullet'

Warner Bros. has attracted Walter Hill's "Bullet for the Mind" in the formerly introduced release date of April 13."Bullet" stars Sylvester Stallone and Sang Kang just like a hitman together with a cop who form an alliance to have the ability to bring lower an average enemy. Project continues to be produced by Dark Castle and IM Global."Bullet" was slated to start against Lionsgate's horror vehicle "Cabin inside the Forest," FilmDistrict's sci-fier "Lockout" and Relativity's unititled Farrelly brothers and sisters comedy. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Prescreen Partners With Facebook For VOD

Movie sites and entrepreneurs still tout their partners with Facebook, enabling their ready to be applied and distributed to the huge social networking site. Streaming video if needed site Prescreen revealed expects to create its extended form content available via Facebook’s Open Graph Platform. For just about any 60-day window clients can observe trailers from Prescreen’s curated selection of films and rent preferred options on-demand. Prescreen game game titles include hundreds of films from film festivals worldwide. The web site may also be spotlighting the arrangement with Prescreen due to “real-time statistics and detailed demographic information provided by content clients,” enabling entrepreneurs to pay attention to audiences through online marketing together with other channels. Clients could have a option to show business social designs and Prescreen states it'll only share trailer viewing history, not rental or sales records.

WB developing pic of manga 'Bleach'

SegalMazeau'Bleach'Warner Bros. has acquired live-action feature privileges to Tite Kubo's manga and anime property "Bleach," which is modified by "Wrath from the Leaders" scribe Serta Mazeau.Peter Segal ("Get Wise") will produce by having an eye toward possibly pointing.Using more than 75 million print copies in circulation in Japan alone, "Bleach" follows the adventures of Ichigo, a teen who are able to see ghosts. When his household is assaulted with a Hollow -- a malevolent lost soul -- Ichigo unintentionally soaks up the energy to search Hollows. Then he commits his existence to safeguarding the innocent and helping tortured souls find peace.Segal's Callahan Filmworks partner Michael Ewing will even produce together with Masi Oka and Viz Prods., a subsidiary of Viz Media, the British-language writer of "Bleach." Jason Hoffs will produce for Viz, while Branon Coluccio will professional produce. WB professional Jon Berg will oversee the work for the studio.Oka, who co-starred in Segal's "Get Wise," introduced the project to Callahan Filmworks."I have been an enormous fan of 'Bleach' and also have great respect because of its creator Kubo and also the truly original and amazing world he's produced within this manga," stated Segal, whose "Get Wise" made a lot more than $230 million worldwide for Warners in 2008.CAA reps Segal, Ewing and Callahan Filmworks, in addition to Mazeau, who's also repped by Circle of Confusion and lawyers Shep Rosenman and Lee Rosenbaum of Katz, Golden & Rosenman. Oka is repped by UTA and Circle of Confusion. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com