the early-evening news

Williamsburg Hipster Horror Movie Gets Picked Up … by Mark Cuban?

A still from Murder PartyCourtesy of Lab of Madness

Mark Cuban Picks Up Murder Party: Jeremy Saulnier’s Williamsburg hipster-horror pic Murder Party is acquired by Mark Cuban’s new genre-film distributor Magnet Films. Remember: “The day we shot everyone dying, which I thought would be an absolute blast — and it was! — the day after that, I was very depressed.” [Radar]

Gone Daddy Gone Gone: Miramax pulls the Ben Affleck-directed Gone Daddy Gone from UK release due to similarities with the case of missing Madeleine McCann. [Variety]

Ramona Lives!: Fox 2000 signs Elizabeth Allen (Aquamarine) to direct the adaptation of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona stories. Finally, something to take our daughters to after Murder Party! [Variety]

Hire Johnny Drama for Your Bat Mitzvah: For only $15,000, Emmy nominee Kevin Dillon can appear at your special event! We assume Sternbergh will be all over this. [Defamer]

Amazon’s MP3 Store Launches Next Week: …But will not be a stand-alone store so much as individual tunes sold within search results — because two of the four major labels still aren’t on board with Amazon’s DRM-free plans. [Digital Music News via Idolator]

Otaku Politician Buoys Japanese Economy: The news that Taro Aso, avowed manga and anime fan, might become the next Japanese Prime Minister sent manga and video-game stocks soaring in Tokyo. [IHT via The Beat]

Whitney Has to Leave her Desk for a Couple Hours: But don’t worry, she’ll be back. [Pop Candy]

Williamsburg Hipster Horror Movie Gets Picked Up … by Mark Cuban?